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Bradwell v. The State U.S. 130 (1873)

handle is hein.slavery/ussccases0344 and id is 1 raw text is: BRADWELL v. THE STATE.

Statement of the case.
I earnestly hope that the consequences to follow may
prove less serious and far-reaching than the minority fear
they will be.
BRADWELL v. THE STATE.
1. The Supreme Court of Illinois having refused to grant to a woman a
license to practice law in the courts of that State, on the ground that
females are not eligible under the laws of that State; Held, that such a
decision violates no provision of the Federal Constitution.
2. The second section of the fourth article is inapplicable, because the plain-
tiff was a citizen of the State of whose action she complains, and that
section only guarantees privileges and immunities to citizens of other
States, in that State.
8. Nor is the right to practice law in the State courts a privilege or immu-
nity of a citizen of the United States, within the meaning of the first
section of the fourteenth article of amendment of the Constitution of
the United States.
4. The power of a State to prescribe the qualifications for admission to the
bar of its own courts is unaffected by the fourteenth amendment, and
this court cannot inquire into the reasonableness or propriety of the
rules it may prescribe.
IN error to the Supreme Court of the State of Illinois.
Mrs. Myra Bradwell, residing in the State of Illinois, made
application to the judges of the Supreme Court of that State
for a license to practice law. She accompanied her petition
with the usual certificate from an inferior court of her good
character, and that on due examination she had been found
to possess the requisite qualifications. Pending this appli-
cation she also filed an affidavit, to the effect that she was
born in the State of Vermont; that she was (had been) a
citizen of that State; that she is now a citizen of the United
States, and has been for many years past a resident of the
city of Chicago, in the State of Illinois. And with this
affidavit she also filed a paper asserting that, under the fore-
going facts, she was entitled to the license prayed for by
virtue of the second section of the fourth article of the Con-
stitution of the United States, and of the fourteenth article
of amend ment of that instrument.

[Sup. Ct.

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