College of Law

Toledo Women Lawyers History Project

A groundbreaking legacy. This area of the country has a rich history of women in law who have paved the way for the women lawyers who have followed in their footsteps. This history will be lost forever if not captured and maintained for future generations. This project was developed through a collaboration between The University of Toledo College of Law and the Toledo Women’s Bar Association to discover and preserve the stories of women lawyers in the Toledo area.

The Toledo Women Lawyers History Project created a display in the college. This display includes portraits of women who represent the progress of women lawyers in the Toledo area in a reflective setting in the LaValley Law Library. The portraits were illustrated by Paula Mowry '88 with biographies written by LaValley Law Library staff. The wrought iron title art for the official display was designed and donated by Jack Wilson '81.

Project goals include expanding the historical project to include interactive displays, capturing more of the history of Toledo area women lawyers, and creating an endowment for speakers and programs of interest about women and the law. We hope to see you at one of our upcoming project events.

Vision

The Toledo Women Lawyers History Project will highlight the history of women in the law in the Northwest Ohio region. Some of the benefits of this project will include:

• Preserving and documenting history by collecting information from the past and the present, including oral histories, pictures, and interviews.
• An endowed speaker series including past, present, and future women lawyers, as speakers or subjects.
• An inspiration for students' careers while they are attending law school.
• A place where historians, researchers, and others can learn about (and contribute to) the history of Toledo women lawyers.
• A way to develop community outreach in support of women lawyers and related issues.
• A recruiting tool to attract women law students to Toledo Law.
• An opportunity for academic credit for students who participate in the oral history project and write a seminar paper or a similar project.
• A reflective area in the LaValley Law Library for study.