1872-1958
Mary Philbrook was the first female attorney admitted to the bar in New Jersey. She practiced in Newark for many years.
While there are several large biographies of Mary already written (see below), she was in Newark from 1899 until World War 1, and again from 1920 through the end of her life. In Newark she practiced at 828 Broad Street in 1900. In 1910, she practiced at 164 Market and lived at 1183 Broad. In 1924, she’s listed as a Legal Assistant for the City of Newark.
Mary worked for the Law Department of the City of Newark from 1920 until 1929, when she was fired for “insubordination”, after she had asked for office space like male legal assistants, and contested her departmental assignment. She stated she would contest the dismissal with Civil Service.
From the NJ Historical Society, some of Mary’s work in Newark included: “In 1906 Philbrook worked with the Essex County sheriff on a campaign to eliminate prostitution in Newark…. In 1911, Philbrook brought a test case for women’s suffrage before the New Jersey courts, arguing that women’s right to vote was implicit in the New Jersey Constitution. The case was that of Harriet Carpenter, a Newark teacher, who had been denied the right to register to vote. The case was ruled against in 1912…In 1920, Philbrook returned to Newark, where she spent the last forty years of her life as an active member of the National Woman’s Party, lobbying for the passage of a state and national equal rights amendment. Philbrook also organized the New Jersey Committee to Eliminate Discrimination Against Women, sought to gain passage of a law prohibiting discrimination against married women, and lobbied against protective legislation for women in the workforce, which restricted their number of working hours and night work.”
During suffrage, Mary supported Alice Paul and the more militant tactics of young suffragists.
Bibliography
“New Jersey Women’s History”. New Jersey Women’s History. 2020.
“Ousted Lawyer Plans to Fight” Newark News Jun 15, 1929
“Miss Philbrook Eludes Notice” Newark News Mar 31, 1929
“Philbrook Ouster Notice is Served” Newark News Jun 3, 1929
“Means to Have Women Vote” Newark News Nov 1, 1911
“Mary Philbrook, Woman Lawyer” Newark News Sept 2, 1958
Hendrickson, Lisa. “Biographical Sketch of Mary Philbrook”. Alexander Street.
History, J. C. “Library Guides: Mary Philbrook (1872-1958): Mary Philbrook (1872-1958)”. njcu.libguides.com. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
“Manuscript Group 572, Mary Philbrook (1872-1958), Women’s rights leader Papers, 1843-1954 | The New Jersey Historical Society”. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
Newark City Directories (digital.npl.org)
Burstyn, Joan N. (1997). Past and Promise: Lives of New Jersey Women. New Jersey: Scarecrow Press. pp. 180–181. ISBN0815604181.