Maine Women Attorneys: A Photo History
Gail Laughlin, Esq.
Portland, Maine.
Admitted to the Maine Bar in 1923.
First woman lawyer to serve in the Maine Legislature (1929).
Chair of Senate Judiciary (1939-1943).
Source: Legislative Biographies, Published 1941.
Helen Knowlton, Esq.
Rockland, Maine.
Admitted to the Maine Bar in 1899.
Source: An Album of the Attorneys of Maine,
(News Publishing Company, Bethel, Maine 1902)
Belle Leavitt, Esq.
Sanford, Maine.
Admitted to the Maine Bar in 1900.
Source: An Album of the Attorneys of Maine,
(News Publishing Company, Bethel, Maine 1902)
Advertisement for
Eva Bean (Morgan), Esq.
Old Orchard & Saco, Maine.
Admitted to the Maine Bar in 1909.
Reprinted from the Maine Register, 1909 - 1910.
Town
Machias and Columbia Falls
Rockland
Sanford
Skowhegan
Old Orchard and Saco
Old Orchard
Saco
Portland
Bangor
Bangor
Washington County
Augusta
Portland
Saco
Portland
Portland
Augusta
Lewiston
Searsmont and Belfast
Lewiston
Lewiston
Portland
Bristol
Portland
Portland
Yarmouth
Portland
Lewiston
Lewiston
Portland
Union
Lewiston (not active)
Freeport
Portland
Portland
Farmington
Bangor
Augusta
Skowhegan
Pine Tree, Presque Isle
Portland
Bangor
Portland
AAG
Portland
Augusta
Rockland
Portland
Portland?
Cape Elizabeth
Lewiston
ME Bar
Adm.
Date Name
1872 Clara Hapgood Nash 1
1899 Helen Knowlton
1900 Belle Ashton Leavitt
1906 Ethel Walton Abbott
1909 Eva Bean Morgan
1909 Elizabeth Calley
1911 Mary Alma Bradbury
ca. 1915 Adeline Bond Rines
1915 Ada M. Gleszer 2
1916 Gladys M. Niles
1920 Abbie Hill
1920 Iola S. Kearney
1923 Gail Laughlin 3
1927 Margaret Harford Currie
1927 Ethel Turner
1928 Margaret Smith
1931 Lois Birkenwald
1932 Alice Parker
1932 Louise Holmes
1934 Marguerite O'Roak
1935 Grace Lawton
1935 Elizabeth Siteman
1936 Margaret Sproul
1936 Marguerite Fay
1936 Laura Stanley
1937 Helen Ross Ayer
1937 Selma Black
1937 Marguerite Larock
1940 Irene Woodhead
1941 Sigrid Tompkins 4*
1942 Martha Merrill
1952 Jane Taintor
1953 Bertha Rideout *
1954 Harriet Henry 5*
1960 Kimberly Hibbs
1965 Ruth Pullen *
1966 Sue Kominsky *
1968 Paula Sawyer *
1969 Patricia Danisinka-Washburn *
1970 Sue Calkins *
1970 Caroline Glassman 6 *
1971 Mary Louis Kurr *
1971 Mary Kay Brennan *
1972 Rae Ann French *
1972 Judy Potter *
1972 Jessie Gunther 7 *
1973 Jean Chalmers *
1973 Katherine Greenleaf *
1973 Annee Tara *
1973 Paula Elkins *
1973 Fredda Wolf * Chronological List of Women Attorneys in Maine thru July 1974
* In Practice in July 1974.
1 First women lawyer in Maine and New England; 5th in the United States.
2 First woman graduate of the University of Maine School of Law, but unclear whether admitted.
3 First woman lawyer to serve in the Legislature (1929)(Chair of Senate Judiciary 1939-43).
4 First woman partner in a major law firm.
5 First woman District Court Judge.
6 First woman on Maine Law Court.
7 First woman Superior Court Justice.
MTJ & PHM, July 7, 2001.
Revised by PHM, July 17, 2002.
Alice Parker, Esq.
Lewiston, Maine.
Admitted to the Maine Bar in 1932.
First woman lawyer to argue a case before the Maine Supreme Court.
Source: Lewiston Journal, September 15, 1952.
Marguerite O'Roak, Esq.
Lewiston, Maine.
Admitted to the Maine Bar in 1934.
Source: Lewiston Journal, August 27, 1952.
Irene Woodhead, Esq.
Lewiston, Maine.
Admitted to the Maine Bar in 1940.
Source: Lewiston Journal, September 8, 1952.
Editor's Note: Please contact Margaret T. Johnson, Paul H. Mills, or the editor if you know of any Maine women attorneys admitted prior to 1974 who are not on the list.
© Copyright 2001-2014. Pamela Trudo. All rights reserved.
