List of first women lawyers and judges in Idaho

This is a list of the first women lawyer(s) and judge(s) in Idaho. It includes the year in which the women were admitted to practice law (in parentheses). Also included are women who achieved other distinctions such becoming the first in their state to obtain a law degree or become a political figure.

Firsts in state history

Lawyers
  • Helen Young (1895):[1] First female lawyer in Idaho
  • Kate E. Nevile Feltham (1914):[1] First female to be elected as a prosecuting attorney in Idaho (1926)
  • Mazellah (M.) Pearl McCall (1919):[2] First female lawyer from Idaho to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court (1924)
  • Adelyne Martha Burrus Champers (1927):[1] First female lawyer to argue a case before the Supreme Court of Idaho (1929)
  • Rei Kihara Osaki (1943):[3] First Japanese American female lawyer in Idaho
  • Ida Leggett (1986):[1][4] First African American female lawyer in Idaho
  • Cassandra Lee Furr Dunn (1974):[2] First Native American (Cherokee/Shoshone) female lawyer in Idaho

Judges
  • Margaret Geisler:[1] First female (non-attorney) to serve as a judge in Idaho (1939)
  • Mary Jensen Smith Oldham (1935):[1] First female lawyer to serve as a judge in Idaho (1945)
  • Zoe Ann Warberg Shaub (1960):[1][5] First female to become the youngest judge in Idaho at the time of her appointment (1961)
  • Ida Leggett (1986):[1][4] First African American female (and African American in general) judge in Idaho (1992)

District Court
  • Deborah A. Bail (1975):[1] First female district court judge (1983)[6]
  • Juneal Kerrick (1981):[7] First female appointed as a Judge of the Third Judicial District in Idaho (1987)

Appellate Court
  • Cathy Silak (1976):[1] First female appointed as a Judge of the Idaho Court of Appeals (1990)

Supreme Court
  • Linda Copple Trout (1977):[8] First female appointed as a Justice of the Idaho Supreme Court (1992) and Chief Justice (1997)

Deputy Attorney General
  • Susan Maria Flandro (1968):[1] First female to serve as an Deputy (Assistant) Attorney General in Idaho (1968)

United States Attorney
  • Betty H. Richardson (1982):[1][9] First female to serve as the U.S. Attorney for Idaho (1993-2001)

Prosecuting Attorney
  • Kate E. Nevile Feltham (1914):[10] First female to become a Prosecuting Attorney in Idaho (1926)

Bar Association
  • Kaye O'Riordan:[1] First female to serve as the President of the Idaho State Bar Association (1988)

Firsts in local history

Alphabetized by county name

Region

Ada County
  • Karen Jean Orndorff Vehlow (1975):[1] First female appointed as a Deputy Prosecutor (1975) and magistrate (1977) in Ada County, Idaho
  • Jan M. Bennetts:[13] First female Prosecuting Attorney for Ada County, Idaho (2014)

Bonner County
  • Barbara Buchanan:[14] First female district court judge in Bonner County, Idaho (2013)

Jerome County
  • Stacey DePew:[15] First female judge in Jerome County, Idaho (2018)

Latah County

Madison County

Washington County
  • Kate E. Nevile Feltham (1914):[10] First female Prosecuting Attorney for Washington County, Idaho (1926)

See also

Other topics of interest

References
  1. "The First 50 Women in Idaho Law (1895-1975)" (PDF). Idaho State Bar. Retrieved October 6, 2016.
  2. Kristensen, Debora K. (2005). "1895–1975: The First 50 Women In Idaho Law" (PDF).
  3. Kristensen, Debora K.; Bar, Idaho State (2005). First fifty women in Idaho law. Presented by Idaho State Bar.
  4. "Milestones for Women in Idaho Law". Idaho State Bar. Retrieved October 6, 2016.
  5. mmatthews@magicvalley.com, MYCHEL MATTHEWS. "Once the youngest judge in Idaho, ZoeAnn Shaub dead at 83". Twin Falls Times-News. Retrieved 2018-02-02.
  6. Upon her appointment as a Judge of the Fourth Judicial District of Idaho
  7. newsroom@idahopress.com, By IDAHO PRESS- TRIBUNE STAFF. "Judge Juneal Kerrick to retire after more than 30 years at the Canyon County Courthouse". Idaho Press-Tribune. Retrieved 2018-02-09.
  8. "A Benchmark For Idaho's First Female Justice Linda Copple Trout Has No Grand Strategy For Change". Spokesman.com. Retrieved 2018-02-02.
  9. "BETTY RICHARDSON RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS KATE FELTHAM AWARD". Federal Bar Association Idaho Chapter. 1:2. May 2006.
  10. "The First 50 Women in Idaho Law: KATE E. NEVILE FELTHAM - September 22, 1914(1859 – 1936)" (PDF).
  11. "Gooding lawyer Schmitt broke a lot of glass ceilings". Twin Falls Times-News. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  12. "The Gooding widow who broke up the boys' club". Twin Falls Times-News. Retrieved 2017-10-20.
  13. Hansen, Stephanie Schaerr (2018-02-13). "Jan M. Bennetts, prosecuting attorney, Ada County". Idaho Business Review. Retrieved 2018-12-27.
  14. "1st District Has First Female Judge | The Spokesman-Review". www.spokesman.com. Retrieved 2018-12-27.
  15. KAUFFMAN, GRETEL. "Meet Jerome County's next magistrate judges". Twin Falls Times-News. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
  16. Yenser, Pamela (Winter 2009). "100 Years of Legal Education". University of Idaho Magazine.
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