Lady Lawyer, Clara Shortridge Foltz

Clara Shortridge Foltz (July 16, 1849 - September 2, 1934) was the first female lawyer on the West Coast and initiated the idea of the public defender. Clara's legal career began when she changed the California legal code by replacing "white male" with "person," which allowed her to become California's first woman lawyer. During a career that spanned 56 years she was able to advance a great deal of legislation for women's rights in the legal field. The author tells Clara's story in the context of its times which reveals Clara to be a woman of timeless inspiration.