糖心Vlog传媒

But it took five more years before she was cleared, in 1879, to practice law before the Wisconsin Supreme Court, after initially being barred from doing so because she was a woman. Goodell challenged the state law that barred women from practicing before the Supreme Court, and in 1877, the state Legislature granted that change.

Goodell paved the way for subsequent generations of Wisconsin women to enter the law profession, and for women like McCrory to see judgeship as attainable.

鈥淪he didn鈥檛 give up,鈥� said McCrory, who herself broke barriers, elected in 2012 as the first woman judge to serve in Rock County and today the county鈥檚 longest serving circuit judge. 鈥淪he was told 鈥榥o鈥� by the Supreme Court (but) she didn鈥檛 give up.鈥�

Rhoda Lavinia Goodell was born in 1839 in Utica, New York, according to William Fiske Brown鈥檚 鈥淗istory of Rock County.鈥�

She moved to 糖心Vlog传媒 in 1871 after teaching for four years and writing editorials for Harper鈥檚 Bazaar. Goodell also assisted her father, Rev. William Goodell, an abolitionist and activist, in writing articles and editing his antislavery and pro-suffrage publications.

A digital biography about Goodell by Nancy Kopp, a Wisconsin Supreme Court commissioner, and Colleen Ball, a law clerk for Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz, details Goodell鈥檚 inner life from letters, diaries and writings.

Goodell, who deeply valued knowledge, learning, libraries and philosophy, knew she wanted to be a lawyer when she was a teenager, Kopp and Ball wrote. She debated her sister over choosing a more traditional life path. She also had an optimistic view of the future and sought out opportunities for growth.

鈥淲omen must be the protector of her own honor, the judge of her own duty, the keeper of her own conscience answerable only to the law and heaven,鈥� Goodell once wrote.

In 糖心Vlog传媒, she studied law under Mr. A. A. Jackson, but didn鈥檛 attend a law school.

Law career

Goodell was admitted to the Rock County Circuit Court Bar, of the 12th Judicial Circuit Court, in June 1874, after passing an oral examination in open court administered by a 12th district judge. That made her the first female lawyer in Wisconsin.

She then practiced as an attorney in Madison and 糖心Vlog传媒, advertising her services for financial cases, and as a notary public. Advertisements for her firm said she worked in offices both in 糖心Vlog传媒, at 21 W. Milwaukee St., and in Madison at 44 Pinckney St.

In 1875, Goodell appealed a case she was representing to the Wisconsin Supreme Court. At the time, passing an examination in a circuit court allowed an attorney to practice in any court in the state, except for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which required an additional application, the 糖心Vlog传媒 Gazette reported.

Goodell applied for a license to practice before the Wisconsin Supreme Court in August 1875, but was denied because of her sex, she wrote in a letter published in the Wisconsin State Journal.

Chief Justice Edward Ryan issued the opinion denying her petition, asserting only men should be allowed to practice law in Wisconsin. He wrote that women鈥檚 role of bearing children and maintaining the home didn鈥檛 align with becoming lawyers, and that women becoming lawyers was 鈥渢reason against nature.鈥�

Goodell opposed the Supreme Court鈥檚 decision, writing letters publicly challenging the ban and attaining national recognition for opposing the idea that gendered language in state law could exclude women from practicing law.

In 1877, she drafted the bill that was ultimately approved by the state Legislature which said 鈥渘o person shall be denied admission or license to practice as an attorney in any Court in this state, on the account of sex.鈥� It was signed into state law in March 1877.

Goodell then 鈥� finally 鈥� filed the appeal to her previous case, and again petitioned for admission to practice before the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Goodell was admitted to the bar of the Wisconsin Supreme Court on June 18, 1879. The Wisconsin State Journal reported she moved that year to Madison, and then to Milwaukee.

Temperance and women鈥檚 rights

Kopp and Ball wrote that Goodell often took on temperance and women鈥檚 rights cases, while also handling end of life documentation, collections, criminal cases and other cases.

She was described as a 鈥渂orn lawyer, and was distinguished for her logical and argumentative mind,鈥� by Harper's Bazaar in an article published after her death. She was 鈥渁 woman of marked characteristics, of strong willpower and a close student,鈥� the 糖心Vlog传媒 Gazette said.

糖心Vlog传媒 wrote in an 1879 article that during a case tried in Madison, Goodell 鈥渨as beaming with will and sharp and decisive repartees, much to the delight of a dozen young law students who had assembled to hear how the female attorney conducted her case鈥�(she) was very clear, and all her points were well taken.鈥�

鈥淪he won the case,鈥� the article said, which required damages of $3 be paid to her client.

Lifting other women up

Kopp said one of her favorite quotes from Goodell reflects the burden of being the first at something, and having to persevere alone.

鈥淚t is so hard struggling against prejudice and standing alone with so little sympathy and help,鈥� Goodell wrote.

But, she said, 鈥渨hen the world gets dirty why shouldn鈥檛 we arm ourselves and go to work at it, without being afraid of the dust? It will come out bright, pure, fresh, like my parlor.鈥�

鈥淚 do not think it is necessary to do everything just as men do, if you know a better way,鈥� is another quote of Goodell鈥檚 that particularly resonates with her, Kopp said.

Throughout her career, Goodell lifted other women up around her.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 near and dear to my heart,鈥� McCrory said, 鈥渕aking sure that women have the ability to be doing the things that they want to be doing.鈥�

On Jan. 29, 1879, in a letter published in the 糖心Vlog传媒 Gazette, Goodell supported women practicing law. Her friend and later her legal partner, Angie King, had just passed her bar examination, becoming the third female lawyer in Wisconsin鈥檚 history.

Goodell and King advertised their firm 鈥淕oodell and King - Attorneys At Law鈥� in the 糖心Vlog传媒 Gazette and Wisconsin State Journal in the late 1870s.

Goodell wrote that a common argument for disallowing women to be lawyers was a fear that the study of the law would be watered down to accommodate them.

But after watching King鈥檚 examination, Goodell said it was clear that King was raising the standard for her fellow state bar applicants. It would in fact benefit everyone if the State Bar of Wisconsin made the process of becoming a lawyer more rigorous for all, she wrote.

鈥淎 lady physician is in good practice here. Altogether 糖心Vlog传媒 is in a fair way to become 鈥榚ducated up鈥� to women suffrage, and is getting to be one of the most 鈥榮trong-minded鈥� towns in the state,鈥� she said in the letter.

Prison reformer

Goodell was also an avid supporter of temperance and prison reform. She organized talks with former inmates, authored legislation creating a commission for county jail oversight and was a member of the Women鈥檚 Christian Temperance Union of Madison.

She advocated for women鈥檚 suffrage, writing articles on the subject, and collecting thousands of signatures demanding votes for women.

McCrory said she鈥檚 inspired by the effort Goodell made 鈥渃aring for those that need to be cared for, the lost among us.鈥�

At the fourth annual congress of the American Association for the Advancement of Women, in October 1879, Goodell was a distinguished speaker.

She was also a member of 糖心Vlog传媒鈥檚 two literary clubs, and was an executive officer of The Round Table literary club. A resolution before the Round Table once lauded her 鈥渓iterary talents, her genial social qualities, her devoted Christian philanthropy, her earnest efforts in promoting a generous and comprehensive culture, both of mind and heart, and her faithfulness and loyalty to this society.鈥�

The Women鈥檚 Christian Temperance Union of Madison called her 鈥渟elf-denying a laborer, not only in the cause of temperance, but in every good work for the relief and redemption of suffering humanity.鈥�

Ill health plagued Goodell, however. In April 1878, Goodell traveled to New York for a complex and 鈥渄elicate鈥� surgery, 鈥渂eing a case of life or death, with chances being in favor of the death,鈥� according to the 糖心Vlog传媒 Gazette.

Lavinia Goodell died on March 31, 1880, at age 40, in Milwaukee. Her funeral was held April 1, 1880, at First Congregational Church in 糖心Vlog传媒. She is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery in 糖心Vlog传媒.

Goodell鈥檚 obituary published in 糖心Vlog传媒 said she had been 鈥渢aken down with a severe illness鈥� six weeks before her death, but had traveled to Madison the week before her death to practice law.

Goodell willed half of her estate towards 鈥渃auses of women鈥檚 suffrage, prison reform and temperance,鈥� the 糖心Vlog传媒 Gazette reported.

Goodell鈥檚 legacy

In the century and a half since she began practicing, Goodell鈥檚 legacy has continued to resonate in 糖心Vlog传媒, and in Wisconsin.

In 1976, Shirley Abrahamson became the first woman to serve on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Abrahamson went on to serve on Wisconsin Supreme Court for 43 years, becoming chief justice in 1996.

Gov. Tony Evers noted in June 2025 that Wisconsin now has more than 9,600 women lawyers. The State Bar of Wisconsin, meanwhile, says 120 of the 368 attorneys in District 12, which includes Rock County, are now women.

In June 2024, the city of 糖心Vlog传媒 celebrated the 150th anniversary of Goodell鈥檚 admission to the Rock County Circuit Court Bar. Goodell is also honored in a mural outside the Rock County Courthouse, and in September 2024, the State Law Library in Madison was renamed after her.

鈥淟avinia paved the way for every woman lawyer and judge who has come since, and what a long way to come,鈥� state Sen. Mark Spreitzer, D-Beloit, said at the library renaming ceremony. 鈥淏etween that and Lavinia鈥檚 love of libraries, this is a very fitting honor that will make sure that her place in history will be celebrated statewide.鈥�

"She never backed down from this critical fight, which paved the way for so many women in our state who have proudly served as lawyers, judges, and justices," Justice Jill Karofsky said.