Mary Hall: Connecticut’s First Female Attorney

Born in Marlborough, Connecticut, in 1843, Mary Hall had no idea, growing up the daughter of a farmer, that she would one day revolutionize the legal profession in Connecticut. In 1866 she graduated from Wesleyan Academy in Wilbraham, Massachusetts, and became a teacher. A believer in equal opportunities for women, she attended a woman suffrage convention in Hartford that set her on a new and radical career path.

At the convention she heard esteemed Hartford attorney John Hooker give a talk about the restricted property rights of married women. Inspired by Hooker’s speech, Hall decided to study law (at a time before Connecticut had any female attorneys).