Sarah Killgore Wertman | |
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| Born | Sarah Killgore (1843-03-01)March 1, 1843 |
| Died | May 21, 1935(1935-05-21) (aged 92) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
Sarah Killgore Wertman, néeKillgore (1 March 1843,Jefferson, Indiana - 21 May 1935,Seattle, Washington) was an American lawyer.[1] She was the first woman to both graduate from law school and be admitted to the bar of any state in theUnited States, after graduating from theUniversity of Michigan Law School and being admitted to theState Bar of Michigan in 1871.[2][3]
Killgore Wertman was born in Jefferson,Clinton County, Indiana on March 1, 1843 to David and Elizabeth Killgore. Killgore's father was a prominent local attorney and encouraged his daughter's study of the law. Her religious upbringing led Killgore to attend seminary school, graduating from Ladoga Seminary inLadoga, Indiana in 1862. She then worked for a number of years as a school teacher.[4]
She began studying law at Chicago University (now theUniversity of Chicago) in 1869, and went on to study law at theUniversity of Michigan Law School, becoming the first female law student in the School's history. Killgore Wertman graduated from the University with anLL.B. in March 1871. Later that year she was admitted to the Michigan State Bar.[5] However, she became very ill and had to move home home to Indiana.[6]
On June 16, 1875 she married Jackson S. Wertman, anIndianapolis attorney, and the pair moved toIndiana and opened a joint practice there. Under Indiana law, however, women were not eligible for admission to the bar, and so she handled the practice's real estate matters as well as office tasks, while her husband made court appearances.[2][3]
In November 1878, the couple moved toAshland, Ohio and Killgore Wertman temporarily retired from law practice in order to raise the couple's children, Shields K., Helen M., and Clay (who died in infancy). When her children were older, she decided to sit for the Ohio Bar examination. She passed in September 1893. Once admitted to the Ohio Bar, Killgore Wertman returned to her husband's law practice, specializing in real estate law and abstracting.[3] Killgore Wertman and her husband later followed their children toWashington state, settling inSeattle, where she continued to reside with her son until her death on May 21, 1935.
She was involved inUniversity of Michigan alumni groups and was a lifelong member of theEquity Club, an organization of women lawyers based at the University of Michigan who exchanged letters.[2]