One hundred years ago, the right of women to apply for admission to the bar of the State of New Hampshire was won by Marilla Marks Ricker of Dover. In honor of Ricker and her pioneering challenge to the status quo, Shaheen & Gordon, P.A. proudly sponsored the New Hampshire Bar Association’s Centennial Celebration Gala of Women in the Law held recently in Concord.
Ricker’s petition in 1890 to allow women to seek a license to practice law was successful although she herself never sought admission to practice in New Hampshire. She paved the way for that first woman, Agnes Winifred (Winnie) McLaughlin to be admitted to New Hampshire’s bar on June 30, 1917.
It took 60 years before there were 100 women admitted to practice law in this state. The 100th woman, Nancy O. Dodge, was admitted on November 1, 1977, according to the state bar association. In 1980, NH Supreme Court Chief Justice Linda Stewart Dalianis became the first woman to serve as a full-time Superior Court judge.
Shaheen & Gordon salutes Winnie McLaughlin and her 100-year legacy. We are committed to gender equality and supports women in leadership roles across our firm.
So today we pay special tribute to our own women attorneys: Stephanie K. Annunziata, Nancy L. Ball, Celine Boyle, Tracey Goyette Cote, Christine M. Craig, Kara J. Dowal, Karyn P. Forbes, Kathryn B. Johnston, Lucy J. Karl, Andrea Q. Labonte, Karen Lovell, Elizabeth J. Scheffee, S. Amy Spencer, and Cinde Warmington.
Shaheen & Gordon, P.A. is a full-service law firm addressing individual, family and business needs across New Hampshire and northern New England. Our award-winning attorneys are regularly honored for the accomplishments and recognized by their peers.
