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4 - Calling Time at the Bar

First Women Barristers and Their Networks and Connections

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 August 2020

By
Judith Bourne
Edited by
Michael Lobban  and
Ian Williams
Michael Lobban
Affiliation:
London School of Economics and Political Science
Ian Williams
Affiliation:
University College London
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Summary

Until 1919, women were barred from becoming barristers or solicitors. With the passing of the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919, Helena Normanton made legal history on 24 December 1919 (the day after the Act was passed) by becoming the first woman to join an Inn of Court, the Middle Temple. Her milestone entry marked women’s formal entry to the legal profession. But what do we actually know about that history? The stories of Gwyneth Bebb and Helena Normanton have been recorded, but the struggle was wider than just two individuals. They were not lone agents of change. This chapter argues that women’s entry to the Bar was achieved through women’s networks and connections, a history that has not yet been recorded.

Keywords

women’s legal historyfemale lawyerswomen’s groupsInns of Courtlegal profession
Type
Chapter
Information
Networks and Connections in Legal History , pp. 60 - 87
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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