Every woman who has ever practiced law in Wisconsin owes something to a woman from Janesville.
Her name was Lavinia Goodell. And she was a force.
A dream with a promise attached
Lavinia knew she wanted to be a lawyer when she was still a teenager. Back then, that was basically unheard of for a woman.
In 1871, her parents retired to Janesville. Lavinia had been working as a newspaper editor in New York, but her dad made her a deal. Come to Janesville, and you can study law.
She came. And she got to work.
Teaching herself the law
No law firm in town would take her on as a student. So she studied on her own.
In 1874, she was admitted to the Rock County bar. She became the first woman licensed to practice law in Wisconsin. Janesville buzzed about it, and so did newspapers across the country.
She didn't waste any time. That same year, she won her first two trials back to back. A few weeks later, she won a jury trial.
Then the Supreme Court said no
In 1875, one of her cases was appealed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court. To argue it there, she needed separate permission.
The Chief Justice, Edward Ryan, was openly against women's rights. In early 1876, the court turned her down. Ryan basically said women weren't meant to practice law.
Most people would have given up. Lavinia went to the Legislature instead.
Janesville had her back
Here's where our town shows up. Local lawyers stood up for her. Local newspapers backed her.
And a Janesville lawmaker, John Cassoday, helped pass a new state law that let women practice law. In 1879, Lavinia applied again. This time she was admitted to the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
Then she argued a case there and won. Another first.
A short life, a huge legacy
Lavinia kept racking up firsts. She was the first woman in the United States to run for city attorney. She also co-founded Wisconsin's first all-woman law firm, Goodell & King.
Sadly, she died in 1880, just months after her big win. She was only about 40 years old.
But she cracked open a door that has never closed. In 2024, the state celebrated 150 years of women in Wisconsin law, with a celebration right here at the Rock County Courthouse in Janesville.
See her Janesville for yourself
Want to walk in her footsteps? Check out laviniagoodell.com for a walking tour of her Janesville stomping grounds.
One determined woman. One supportive town. A whole lot of history.
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