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Women Lawyers in the United States.

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of lectures in the law school to perfect her one on the question whether the payment familiarity with the subject, she will begin of a legacy may be offset by indebtedness to the estate, another on alimony, etc. active practice. In Tiffin, Ohio, there are located two " The fact is," Miss Cronise goes on, " if women who have pursued the steady, a woman wants to practise law just as men straight practice of law for a longer period do, she can. But it requires patience and of time than any other woman has ever long waiting, — so does it likewise for young done. They are sisters, and began the men, — and I know I have the same feeling study about the same time, in the year for young men coming into the practice as

1871, though in dif the older lawyers may ferent offices. Miss have had for me." Nettie W. Cronise was My letter to Mrs. Lutes was answered admitted to practise in the State Courts of by her husband, who says : — Ohio, in April, 1873; and Miss Florence Cronise was admitted "Our practice is gen in September, 1873. eral in character, and ex A fellow-student in tends to the courts of the same office with this State and the United Miss Nettie and ad States Courts for the Northern District ofOhio. mitted to the bar at The following facts will the same time, was enable you to form an N. B. Lutes, Esq.; and estimate as to the nature little more than a year and extent of her prac after their admission tice and experience at as attorneys, they were the bar. The bar of this married, but for some county, as you will see years afterwards the by the printed list en two sisters continued closed, has forty-five to practise together members. The total as partners. In 1880, number of civil cases on however, Mrs. Lutes the trial docket of the BELVA A. LOCKWOOD. and her husband term just closed was 226; formed a partnership, of that number, our firm and Miss Florence Cronise went on with was retained in fifty cases, which is probably a her work alone, and has continued to do fair average of our share of the business for so until the present time. She writes this county, and our practice also extends to a me that her practice covers all classes of considerable extent to the adjourning counties business, and by way of illustration states of this district. Now, when I tell you that I that in the seven weeks' session of court am totally deaf and have not heard the sound of the human voice since 1881, you will under which had just closed, she had tried, among stand that Mrs. Lutes is at least a busy lawyer, others, cases involving questions of part and has no cause for complaint for the want of nership, easements, the holding of a wife's recognition or business." separate property for her husband's debt under various circumstances, a civil action Mr. Lutes adds that both his wife and her for damages for assault and battery, an sister " have won their standing at the bar action of foreclosure and marshalling liens, solely upon their merits as lawyers, in every