List of first women lawyers and judges in Utah

This is a list of the first women lawyer(s) and judge(s) in Utah. 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
Phoebe Couzins: One of the first female lawyers in Utah (1872)
Reva Bosone: First female judge in Utah (1936)
Christine M. Durham: First female Justice (1982) and Chief Justice (2002) of the Utah Supreme Court

Lawyers
  • Phoebe Couzins and Georgia Snow (1872):[1][2][3][4] First female lawyers in Utah
  • Agnes Swan:[5] First female lawyer in Utah to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court (c. 1912)
  • Beryl Bonner Meyers (1926):[6][7][8] First female lawyer to practice before the U. S. District Court for the District of Utah
  • Eunice Chen (1973):[5][9] First Asian American female lawyer in Utah
  • Denise M. Mercherson (1979):[9] First African American female lawyer in Utah
  • Frances M. Palacios (1980):[9][10] First Hispanic American female lawyer in Utah
Judges
  • Reva Beck Bosone (1930):[11][12] First female judge in Utah (1936)
  • Frances M. Palacios (1980):[5][10] First Hispanic American female judge in Utah (upon becoming a Commissioner of the Third District Court in 1992)
  • Shauna Graves-Robertson (1990):[13][14] First African American female judge in Utah (1999)
  • Camille Neider:[15] First openly LGBT female (and LGBT person in general) judge in Utah (2017)
District Court
  • Christine M. Durham (1978):[16][17] First female appointed as a Judge of the Third Judicial District in Utah (1978)
  • Claudia Laycock:[17] First female to become a Judge of the Fourth Judicial District in Utah (2001)
Appellate Court
  • Carolyn B. McHugh (1982):[18] First female appointed as a Judge of the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in Utah (2014)
Supreme Court
  • Christine M. Durham (1978):[16][17] First female appointed as a Justice of the Utah Supreme Court (1982) and Chief Justice of the Utah Supreme Court (2002)
Bankruptcy Court
  • Judith Boulden (1974):[5] First female appointed as a Judge of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court (1988)
District Court
  • Tena Campbell (1977):[19] First female appointed as a Judge of the U.S. District Court in Utah (1995)

Attorney General
  • Jan Graham (1980):[20] First female Attorney General of Utah (1993-2001)

Bar Associations

Firsts in local history

Alphabetized by county name

Cache County
  • Cheryl Ann Russell (1976):[5] First female lawyer in Logan, Utah [Cache County, Utah]

Carbon County

Emery County
  • Patricia Geary:[24] First female to become the County Attorney for Emery County, Utah (c. 1992)

Juab County
  • Claudia Laycock:[17] First female district court judge in Juab, Millard, Utah and Wasatch Counties, Utah (2001)

Millard County
  • Claudia Laycock:[17] First female district court judge in Juab, Millard, Utah and Wasatch Counties, Utah (2001)

Salt Lake County
  • Rebekah W. Hornbein (c. 1915):[5] First female law graduate from the University of Utah [Salt Lake County, Utah]
  • Margret Sidwell Taylor (1970):[5] First female to work as a lawyer for the Public Defender's Office for Salt Lake County, Utah
  • Patricia J. Marlowe (1973):[5][25] First female to serve as the Deputy County Attorney for Salt Lake City, Utah [Salt Lake County, Utah]
  • Christine M. Durham (1978):[16][17] First female district court judge for Salt Lake, Summit and Tooele Counties, Utah (1978)

Summit County

Tooele County

Utah County
  • Claudia Laycock:[17] First female district court judge in Juab, Millard, Utah and Wasatch Counties, Utah (2001)

Wasatch County
  • Claudia Laycock:[17] First female district court judge in Juab, Millard, Utah and Wasatch Counties, Utah (2001)

Washington County
  • Barbara G. Hjelle:[26] First resident female lawyer in Washington County, Utah

See also

Other topics of interest

References
  1. Shepley, Carol Ferring (2008). Movers and Shakers, Scalawags and Suffragettes: Tales from Bellefontaine Cemetery. Missouri History Museum. ISBN 9781883982652.
  2. The Chicago Law Times. C.V. Waite & Company. 1887. p. 78.
  3. Scott, Patricia Lyn, ed. (2005). Women in Women in Utah History Utah History: Paradigm or Paradox?. Utah State University Press.
  4. Women lawyers' journal. 1946.
  5. "Women Trailblazers in the Law: Utahs' First 100 Women Lawyers". Women Lawyers of Utah. 2011.
  6. "Women's Legal History | Biographical Search". Women's Legal History. Retrieved 2017-10-25.
  7. "Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona on May 12, 1965 · Page 23". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2018-01-05.
  8. "The Ogden Standard-Examiner from Ogden, Utah on December 24, 1926 · Page 3". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2018-01-05.
  9. "State Bar News: Utah Minority Bar Association First 50 Event" (PDF). Utah Bar Journal. July–August 2005.
  10. Hispanic Link Weekly Report. Hispanic Link News Service. 1992.
  11. "Remarkable Utah Women". Uintah County Heritage Museum. Retrieved 2018-01-02.
  12. Alexander, Thomas G.; Allen, James B. (1984). Mormons & Gentiles: A History of Salt Lake City. Pruett Publishing Company. ISBN 9780871086648.
  13. "Judge Graves Robertson". slco.org. Retrieved 2018-02-01.
  14. "Elementary students discuss crime and punishment with Utah's first black female judge". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 2018-02-01.
  15. "Gehrke: Camille Neider is not only an excellent lawyer; now she's Utah's first openly LGBTQ judge". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
  16. "Retiring Utah Supreme Court Justice Christine Durham is commemorated as a 'role model and inspiration'". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 2018-01-09.
  17. Israelsen-Hartley, Sara (2009-01-02). "Female judges reflect change in attitudes". DeseretNews.com. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
  18. "Senate confirms first Utah woman to 10th Circuit Court bench". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 2018-02-08.
  19. "`NEIGHBORHOOD GIRL' MAKES GOOD, BECOMES U.S. JUDGE". DeseretNews.com. 1995-08-17. Retrieved 2018-02-06.
  20. "Rolly: Lack of women in politics has real consequences". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 2018-11-19.
  21. Women Lawyers' Journal. Women Lawyers' Club. 1986.
  22. "New Bar President Angelina Tsu,'02 Outlines Goals | S.J. Quinney College of Law". www.law.utah.edu. Retrieved 2019-01-07.
  23. "State bar swears in new president, honors Shumate". The Spectrum & Daily News. Retrieved 2019-01-07.
  24. "EMERY'S NEW COUNTY ATTORNEY NEVER SHIES AWAY FROM A FIGHT". DeseretNews.com. 1992-02-26. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
  25. "A SNEAK PEEK INTO "TRAILBLAZERS: UTAH'S FIRST 100 FEMALE ATTORNEYS"". digitaleditions.walsworthprintgroup.com. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
  26. March 10, ladybugavenger; Reply, 2016 at 2:37 pm Log in to. "State bar honors Washington County's first resident female attorney". Retrieved 2019-01-06.
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