Wisconsin State Law Library

Lavinia Goodell became Wisconsin's first woman lawyer in 1879, but her legacy is often obscured in history books. Supreme Court Commissioner Nancy Kopp and Attorney Colleen Ball want to change that. They spent the last year researching the life of Goodell and have created a website to share Lavinia's history with the world. http://www.laviniagoodell.com is an online biography, accessible to all, which will chronicle Lavinia's life and her contribution to the practice of law in Wisconsin.

In their introduction, they note:

"The first woman lawyer admitted to the Wisconsin Supreme Court had to fight for that status, overcoming opposition from the most powerful legal figure in the state. Lavinia Goodell (1839-1880) was also one of the first female trial lawyers in the United States, a nationally-respected writer, a Vice President of the Association for the Advancement of Woman, a candidate for Janesville City Attorney, a successful lobbyist, a jail reformer, and a temperance advocate. "


Turn to this site for an introduction to Lavinia Goodell's history, and revisit often as more articles are added. Follow the blog, or keep up on Twitter or Facebook for updates.

Madison College is hosting two free information sessions this fall. Both sessions will be held at the Goodman South Campus in Madison (2429 Perry Street, Madison WI 53713). Learn more on the Learning Opportunities section of their community resources page.

The Milwaukee County Law Library will be closed for 1 hour from noon to 1 p.m. on Friday, October 11 for staff training. The MCLL will open for their regular hours after that. 


While they're closed, send questions to the main library - call us at 608-267-9696 or email us at wsll.ref@wicourts.gov. 

The October issue of WSLL @ Your Service is now online. Your comments are welcome! Please direct them to the editor, Carol Hassler.