Alta M. Hulett (4 June 1854 near
Rockford, Illinois
Rockford is a city in Winnebago County, Illinois, located in the far northern part of the state. Situated on the banks of the Rock River, Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County (a small portion of the city is located in Ogle County). ...
– 27 March 1877, in
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
) was a United States
lawyer
A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...
.
She learned
telegraphy
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas p ...
when only 10, and for some time was a successful operator. Subsequently she taught school, and employed her leisure in the study of law. In 1872 she passed the required examination and applied for admission to the bar, but was rejected on account of her sex. She then worked toward securing the passage of a bill through the state legislature, giving all women, whether married or single, the right to practise law. Succeeding in this, she went to
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, where she spent a year in an office, after which she was again examined, admitted to the bar, and began the practice of law.
Career
Hulett studied law with
William Lathrop in
Rockford, Illinois
Rockford is a city in Winnebago County, Illinois, located in the far northern part of the state. Situated on the banks of the Rock River, Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County (a small portion of the city is located in Ogle County). ...
, and became the first woman admitted to the bar in Illinois in 1873. She practiced law in
Chicago, Illinois
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, for three years. In failing health, she moved to California in 1876, where she died March 27, 1877, aged 22 years.
References
See also
**
List of first women lawyers and judges in Illinois
This is a list of the first women lawyer(s) and judge(s) in Illinois. It includes the year in which the women were admitted to practice law (in parentheses). Also included are women who achieved other distinctions such becoming the first in their s ...
References
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hulett, Alta M.
1854 births
1877 deaths
People from Rockford, Illinois
19th-century American women lawyers
Burials at Mount Hope Cemetery (San Diego)
19th-century American lawyers