Charlotte E. Ray

The year was 1872, and Charlotte E. Ray had just graduated from Howard University School of Law. Being an African-American woman during this era, this was difficult enough. However, Ray had bigger dreams in mind when she first started out on her journey than merely graduating with a degree. Instead, it was her dream to own and operate a law practice of her own.

Luckily, this is precisely something that the Supreme Court allowed her to do March 2, 1872, and she opened her private practice later that year. Over the next few years, Charlotte Ray was active in the court system, arguing divorce cases and real estate law. One case even landed her in front of the District of Columbia Supreme Court, making her the first woman lawyer to argue a case in this court.

Eventually, she was unable to sustain a client flow, which caused her to give up her practice and return to teaching. However, the legacy and inspiration she left behind from her time as a lawyer have made a difference in the lives of many women. For example, the court case allowing her to practice law in the first place was used as a precedent for women in similar situations around the country.

Without women like Charlotte E. Ray, the legal world would be a dismal place for women in today's world. Luckily, we have women like Ray, who had a dream and a mission they intended to achieve. Today, women can practice law because of the goals of others who came before them.