List of first women lawyers and judges in Delaware
This is a list of the first women lawyer(s) and judge(s) in Delaware. It includes the year in which the women were admitted to practice law (in parentheses). Also included are women who achieved other distinctions such becoming the first in their state to graduate from law school or become a political figure.
Firsts in Delaware's history
Law School
First female to complete law school without first attending college: Helen Balick (1969) in 1966[1][2]
First African American females (Delaware Court of Common Pleas): Rae M. Sims and Monica A. Horton in 2020[21][22]. Horton, who is biracial, also became the first Asian American (female) judge in Delaware upon her appointment.
Federal judges
First female (United States Bankruptcy Court): Helen Balick (1969) in 1974[1][2]
Frances M. "Mickey" Messina:[27] First female to serve as a Commissioner for the Kent County Levy Court (1972)
Cathleen Hutchison: [28] First female to serve as Deputy Chief Magistrate for the Justice of the Peace Court in Kent County, Delaware (2017)
Marguerite Hopkins Bodziak (1931):[11][3] First female to serve as an Assistant City Solicitor in Wilmington, Delaware (1933) [New Castle County, Delaware]
Sara Pennington:[29] First female magistrate in New Castle County, Delaware (1953)
Phila Furry George:[30] First female lawyer for the Hercules Powder Company in Wilmington, Delaware (1943) [New Castle County, Delaware]
Haile L. Alford:[14][15] First African American female to serve on the Superior Court of New Castle County (1992)
Lisa Roberson Hatfield:[31] First female to serve as the Alderman's Court for Newark (2007)
Jan R. Jurden:[18] First female to become President of the New Castle County Superior Court, Delaware (2012)