She was denied a law license because God designed the sexes for different spheres

History · Published 8 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In 1869, Myra Bradwell passed the Illinois bar exam, only to be rejected. The court ruled that a woman's 'paramount destiny' was to be a wife and mother, not a lawyer. Her fight to break this barrier would eventually change the legal landscape for women in America forever.

Myra Colby Bradwell's journey into law began in the mid-1850s. While living in Chicago, she began 'reading' the law—an apprenticeship-style method of study—to assist her husband in his new law office. Her goal was to support her husband and strengthen their marriage, a concept she believed could act as a deterrent to divorce.

Despite passing the Illinois bar exam in 1869, Bradwell was denied a license. The Illinois Supreme Court rejected her appeal, asserting that the sexes were designed for different spheres of action. This resistance continued when she took her fight to the U.S. Supreme Court, which also ruled against her. Justice Joseph P. Bradley wrote that the 'natural and proper timidity' of women made them unfit for many civil occupations, claiming their mission was to fulfill the roles of wife and mother.

Bradwell did not stop fighting. She founded the Chicago Legal News in 1868, which became the Midwest's most influential law journal. She also helped pass Illinois legislation that granted married women more control over their property and earnings. Alongside Alta Hulett, she helped secure the first law in the nation guaranteeing women the right to work in any field, excluding military and elected office.

Ultimately, both the Illinois and U.S. Supreme Courts admitted Bradwell to the bar, applying the decision retroactively to her 1869 application. While she never actually practiced law, her advocacy and legal battles paved the way for future generations. Today, more than 400,000 women practice law in the United States, a massive shift from the 1870 census, which recorded only five women lawyers in the entire country.

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