A History of ÃÛÌÒ½´Law Women

1925

Erin Bain Jones ’28 enrolls in the first law school class at ÃÛÌÒ½´and becomes the first woman to graduate from ÃÛÌÒ½´School of Law

Black and white image of a map with a pin marking Lubbock.

1949

Patsy Smith ’49 graduates from ÃÛÌÒ½´School of Law and becomes one of the first women attorneys in Lubbock

Louise B Raggio

1954

Louise B. Raggio ’52 becomes the first woman assistant district attorney in Dallas County

Ruby Braden Curl

1955

Ruby Braden Curl becomes the first African-American student admitted at ÃÛÌÒ½´School of Law

Black and white picture of books, a rolled paper with a ribbon around it, and a graduation cap.

1959

Frances Spears Cloyd ’59 becomes the first woman to earn an L.L.M. degree from ÃÛÌÒ½´School of Law

Earldean VS Robbins

1961

Earldean V.S. Robbins becomes the first African-American student to graduate from ÃÛÌÒ½´School of Law

Adelfa Botello Callejo

1961

Adelfa Botello Callejo ’61 becomes the first Hispanic woman to graduate from ÃÛÌÒ½´School of Law, as well as the first Hispanic woman to practice law in Dallas

1967

Led by the State Bar of Texas Family Law Section chair and alum Louise Raggio ’52 and ÃÛÌÒ½´Law Professor Joseph W. McKnight, the Marital Property Bill is enacted into law, enabling women to conduct certain financial and business transactions without their husbands’ permission.

Joan Tarpley Winn

1968

Joan Tarpley Winn ’68 graduates from ÃÛÌÒ½´School of Law and becomes the first African-American woman to practice law in Dallas County

Beverly Carl

1970

Beverly Carl becomes the first woman tenured full professor at ÃÛÌÒ½´School of Law

Judge Barbara Lynn

1975

Five ÃÛÌÒ½´Law women law students who were denied summer clerkships in favor of male students with inferior grades filed suit against law firms they had applied to at the time. Chief Judge Barbara Lynn ’76 was one of those five students. Four of the five law firms settled and they soon had women lawyers at their firms.

Joan Tarpley Winn

1978

Joan Tarpley Winn ’68 becomes the first African-American woman to be appointed to a district court

Sharon N Freytag

1981

Sharon N. Freytag ’81 becomes the first woman Editor-in-Chief of the ÃÛÌÒ½´Law Review (formerly The Southwestern Law Journal)

1983

Annette Stewart ’66 becomes the first woman appointed to the Dallas Court of Appeals

Harriet E Miers

1985

Harriet E. Miers ’70 becomes the first woman to serve as the Dallas Bar Association President

Barbara Culver

1988

Barbara Culver ’51 becomes the second woman appointed as a Justice of the Texas Supreme Court

Illona Sheffey Rawlings

1992

Illona Sheffey Rawlings becomes the first African-American woman to serve on the faculty

Harriet E Miers

1992 - 1993

Harriet Miers ’70 becomes the first woman to serve as the State Bar of Texas President

Rhonda Hunter

2004

Rhonda Hunter ’80 becomes the first person of color to serve as the Dallas Bar Association President

Sarah Saldana

2011

Sarah Saldaña ’84 becomes the first Hispanic woman to serve as a U.S. Attorney in Texas

Mary L Murphy

2013

Mary L. Murphy ’83 becomes the first woman to serve as an administrative regional judge in Texas

Julie Forrester

2013 - 2014

Julie Forrester becomes the first woman dean ad interim at ÃÛÌÒ½´Dedman School of Law

Jennifer M Collins

2014

Jennifer M. Collins becomes the first woman dean at ÃÛÌÒ½´Dedman School of Law

Jessica Dixon Weaver

2015

Jessica Dixon Weaver becomes the first African-American woman to earn tenure

Judge Barbara Lynn

2016

Barbara M.G. Lynn ’76 becomes the first woman appointed as Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas

Lolita Bucker Inniss

2017

Lolita Bucker Inniss becomes the first African-American woman appointed as full professor

Laura Geisler

2019

Laura Geisler ’97 becomes the first Hispanic woman to serve as Dallas Bar Association President