Sadie Lipner Shulman

Shulman was born in 1891 in New York City.^[3][1] She was one of two women the Boston University School of Law class of 1911 where she graduated cum laude.^[3][4][1]

She began practicing law after graduation,^[3] largely in family law.^[4] With her husband, Charles Shulman, she had a private law practice.^[3] She was Counsel for Boston Civic Service House beginning in 1913.^[4] In 1924, Shulman became the first woman to be appointed as an investigator of a divorce case.^[4]

In 1926, Shulman became the first female assistant corporation counsel for the City of Boston.^[3][4][1] She served in the position until 1930.^[1] She was appointed as a judge to the Dorchester District Court in 1930 by Governor Frank G. Allen, becoming the first woman in Massachusetts appointed to the bench with Emma Fall Schofield.^[3][4][1] She was sworn in on December 17, 1930 by governor Allen.^[1][5]

Shulman did not want to retire from the bench, saying it was where she was most happy.^[3] Her most controversial case involved sentencing the juvenile driver of a stolen vehicle to view the corpse of the pedestrian he killed.^[3][1] She thought it was successful, as none of the juveniles involved ever re-offended.^[1]

Shulman lived in Boston.^[6] In 1953, she helped establish a scholarship for women who wanted to study law at Boston University and then later made a donation to construct a study lounge for women.^[3][1] The lounge was named for her.^[1] She was also active in a number of other religious and civic organizations.^[3]

Shulman was a delegate to the 1932 Republican National Convention^[3] and was the first female president of the Boston University Law School Alumni Association.^[3][1]

As a member of Boston's Jewish community, she responded to the National Recovery Administration's call to assist those suffering from the Great Depression.^[7] Her husband, Charles Shulman, led the campaign.^[7]