"Sound-Minded Women": Eliza Orme and the Study and Practice of Law in Late-Victorian England

Authors

  • Leslie Howsam Toronto, Ontario

Abstract

Eliza Orme was the first woman in Britain to earn a degree i n law, in 1888 — 34 years before women were called to the bar. Denied admission to the profession, she practiced law unofficially as a conveyancer and patent agent. She fought for women's suffrage and employment, served on Royal Commissions, was a prominent member of the Liberal party, and opposed protective labour legislation for women workers. Orme, an equal-rights feminist whose legal training and political views conditioned her belief that quiet competence would be recognized and valued, gradually became estranged from the contemporary women's movement.

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Published

1989-10-10

Issue

Section

Original Research