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Florence E. Allen was known as The First Lady of Law. Allen was born in Salt Lake City, Utah on March 23, 1884. She attended New York University School of Law and graduated with her law degree in 1913. She had many firsts in her life, but the most significant one was probably when she was the first woman appointed to a federal court, when President Franklin Roosevelt named her to be the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. She was also serve as justice to the Ohio Supreme Court.


Florence set the standards for women. It was as if she gave women the go ahead to become a part of the legal profession and make something of themselves. She was the many of first which just opened up the opportunity for other women, without Allen, who knows where women would stand today in the legal profession.

Bella Abzug was elected to Congress as a Representative from New York’s 19th district in 1971. She was born in the Bronx, New York on July 24, 1920. On the website www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org the article about Abzug by Blanche Wisen Cook, Cook states, “Abzug predated women’s right to vote by one month. A fighter for justice and peace, equal rights, human dignity, environmental integrity and sustainable development, Bella Abzug has advanced human goals and political alliances worldwide.” Although known for her labor law skills, but, “Above all, Abzug achieved splendid victories for women. She initiated the congressional caucus on women’s issues, helped organize the National Women’s Political Caucus, and served as chief strategist for the Democratic Women’s Committee, which achieved equal representation for women in all elective and appointive posts, including presidential conventions. She wrote the first law banning discrimination against women in obtaining credit, credit cards, loans, and mortgages, and introduced pioneering bills on comprehensive child care, Social Security for homemakers, family planning, and abortion rights.” says Cook.

Abzug stood up for women and fought for their rights. She opened up so many new windows for women. She opened women up to an entire different world that gave them the opportunity to go and make a life by themselves. She gave women the opportunity to not have to rely on men in order to get houses and things like that because she got women the right to have credit and things like that. She opened up new ideas for women lawyers and showed them the way.