News & Events
Former U.S. Court of Appeals Chief Judge Delivers 2011 Kate Stoneman Keynote
Patricia McGowan Wald, Chief Judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 1986 to 1991, delivered the keynote speech at the 17th Annual Kate Stoneman Day, held March 10 at Albany Law School.
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Welcome
Katherine "Kate" Stoneman became the first woman admitted to practice law in New York in 1886, paving the way for thousands who followed. She did so against enormous odds; supporting herself as a teacher, she worked nights, weekends, and summers as a clerk until she became the first female graduate of Albany Law School in 1898.
Even though she passed the New York State Bar Exam, her application to join the bar was rejected because of her gender. She then launched a successful campaign to amend the Code of Civil Procedure to permit the admission of qualified applicants without regard to sex or race.
