Mary Florence Lathrop

Lathrop was not only one of the first female members of the American Bar Association, but also the first female member of the Colorado Bar Association and the Denver Bar Association.^[6][4][2] She went on to specialize in probate law. She faced a great gender barrier as an early female lawyer, having been turned down twice before being admitted to practice in front of the U.S. District Court in Colorado.^[5] Lathrop was the first woman to try a case in front of the Colorado Supreme Court,^[1] the first woman admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court,^[7] and was the first woman to join the Denver Bar Association. Her contributions included redrafting Colorado probate statues, aiding in the development of the Small Guardianship Law, and most famously argued in Clayton v. Hallett, a case which established the law of charitable bequests in Colorado.^[5] She got an honorary doctorate of law from the University of Denver.^[8]

Lathrop died on October 18, 1951, in Denver, Colorado.^[2] She not only helped to pave the way for female lawyers who followed in her steps, but received numerous awards. She spent her life helping students with their education and left the bulk of her estate to establish a student loan fund at the University of Denver.^[5] The Colorado Women's Bar Association (CWBA) began annually presenting an award named after her beginning in 1991 to an outstanding female attorney who has enriched the community through legal and civic activities.^[5]