Lavinia Goodell

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Lavinia Goodell

(b. 1839; d. 1880). First woman lawyer in Wisconsin, 1874. First woman admitted to practice before Wi www.laviniagoodell.com. Follow Lavinia on Twitter.

In 1874, Lavinia Goodell (1839-1880) was the first woman admitted to practice law in Wisconsin and the first woman to be admitted to practice before the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Lavinia’s first petition for admission to the Supreme Court was denied in 1876. Chief Justice Edward Ryan wrote, “[I]t is public policy to provide for the sex, not for its superfluous members; and not to tempt women from t

he proper duties of their sex by opening to them duties peculiar to ours. There are many employments in life not unfit for female character. The profession of law is surely not one of these.” Lavinia persisted, persuading male legislators to pass a law making make bar admission gender neutral. She was admitted to practice before the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 1877 and won an appeal there in 1880, weeks before she died of cancer, just short of her 41st birthday. Lavinia was a lifelong proponent of temperance and women’s suffrage, advocated for women’s property rights, the right of women to obtain a divorce, and laws that would require men to support their wives and children. After a local judge appointed her to represent indigent criminal defendants, she began teaching classes at the jail, believing that no one was beyond redemption and that with education her “boys” would be able to find gainful employment rather than be reduced to a life of crime. She was a graceful, witty, and prolific writer, a prodigious reader, a sought-after public speaker, and possessed a bright and inquisitive mind. She left behind hundreds of letters, scores of published articles, and personal diaries. A new digital biography draws on the large cache of Lavinia-related materials – many of which have never been publicly seen – and offers an intimate view into the life of a fascinating woman who deserves far greater recognition. Lavinia Goodell, . Follow Lavinia on Instagram, .

08/31/2026

Thank you to the Beloit Public Library for hosting the display about Lavinia Goodell during the month of September. We love introducing more people to Wisconsin‘s first woman lawyer.

08/07/2026

Thank you to the Whitewater Public Library for hosting a display on Lavinia Goodell, Wisconsin‘s first woman lawyer. It may be viewed at the library through the end of the month.
If your library, museum, or other facility would be interested in hosting the display, please let us know. It is currently booked for September and October of this year and March 2027, but it is available for other months.

07/11/2026

In early 1872, after living in Janesville, Wisconsin for only a few months, Lavinia Goodell began studying law with Attorney A.A. Jackson. Her father was instrumental in making the arrangement. Read more here. https://www.laviniagoodell.com/i-am-studying-law/

06/21/2026

Thank you to the Rock County Historical Society and Lincoln-Tallman House for hosting the display about Lavinia Goodell’s life. Lavinia‘s father and William Tallman were long time acquaintances, first meeting when they were young men in New York State. After Lavinia became Wisconsin‘s first woman lawyer in 1874, she rented office space in the Tallman building on West Milwaukee Street in Janesville. On July 1, 1879, she attended a Congregational Church picnic at the Tallman house.

06/17/2026

In the late afternoon of June 17, 1874, Lavinia Goodell (1839-1880) went to the Rock County Courthouse in Janesville, Wisconsin and, after passing a brilliant examination, walked out as Wisconsin's first woman lawyer. In addition to practicing law, she worked tirelessly for women's suffrage, married women's rights, and served as a mentor and example to many. Her impact is still felt today. Learn more about her at www.laviniagoodell.com.

05/02/2026

Lavinia Goodell, who in 1874 became Wisconsin's first woman lawyer, was born on May 2, 1839 in Utica, New York. Lavinia grew up in a staunch abolitionist household that believed in equal rights for all. She was a sickly child who was rarely healthy enough to attend public school until the family moved to Brooklyn in the early 1850s. It was there that she came into her own. She attended a girls' academy where she honed her writing skills. After graduating at the top of her class, she worked as a teacher and an editor, first assisting her father in his various publishing endeavors and later at Harper's Bazar Magazine. After moving to Janesville, Wisconsin in 1871, she pursued her teenage dream of becoming a lawyer. Throughout her life, she worked tirelessly for women's suffrage, rights for married women, prison reform, and many other social causes. Although she only lived 40 years, she was a pioneer and her impact is still felt today. Learn more about her at www.laviniagoodell.com.

04/06/2026

On April 6, 1875, 45 years before women won the right to vote, Lavinia Goodell ran for Janesville, Wisconsin City Attorney on the Temperance, or Anti-License, ticket. Although she did not win, she did make a respectable showing, earning 60 votes from Janesville's male voters. This was the Lavinia's only run for public office, but for the rest of her life she worked tirelessly to gain suffrage for women.

Learn more about the life of Wisconsin's first woman lawyer at www.laviniagoodell.com.

If you are interested in 19th century history, especially women's history, please like and share our Facebook posts and follow Lavinia's page.

04/02/2026

During the month of April, Blackhawk Technical College is hosting the four panel display about the life of Lavinia Goodell, Wisconsin’s first woman lawyer, in their library. If you would like to host the display in your library, museum, or other facility, please reach out and ask about availability. We are always happy to introduce Lavinia to new audiences.

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Janesville, WI

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http://laviniagoodell.com/

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