Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Inspiring Stories of Women Leaders
This is the second of my series exploring and sharing success stories of women who have shattered glass ceilings in various industries. The purpose of this series is the highlight their journey, challenges they overcame, and impact they have had on paving the way for other women in the workplace. Read my piece on Justice Rosalie Abella, here.
Clara Brett Martin
A pioneer for women in law, Clara Brett Martin was the first female lawyer in Canada.
She began her long journey towards becoming a lawyer in the late 1800s. At the time, the Canadian government barred women from being lawyers and prohibited them from voting. (As well as from being legislators, coroners, judges or jurors.)
Clara was born in 1874 and obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics at the age of 16. From there, Toronto’s Trinity College accepted Clara in 1888. The College had only accepted women for three years at this point. In 1891, Clara attempted to obtain a student membership with the Law Society of Upper Canada. At that point in time, only “persons” were eligible for admission under the legislation that established the Law Society. Clara unsuccessfully petitioned the Law Society which eventually led to a contentious debate with the special committee. As we all know too well, “persons” excluded women. For this reason, the special committee rejected her petition and Clara’s application to the bar was refused.
Despite rejection, Clara persisted, and in 1892, an amending bill was passed which finally redefined “persons” to include women, which opened the door for Clara’s acceptance to the bar. However, like many young women, Clara’s initiation into the profession was fraught with adversity. She commenced her articles with a Toronto law firm in 1893 but was not accepted to the bar in Ontario until 1899. Poor treatment from her fellow articling students and the legal assistants forced Clara to switch firms several times.
Clara went on to become the first woman elected school trustee on the Toronto Board of Education in 1901, a position she held as the sole woman for over a decade. Historians note that Clara worked diligently in her short career to promote opportunities for women, often hiring female law students.
Clara died at the age of 49, having spearheaded a great shift in the legal landscape. One that opened the door for generations of women to come.
About the Author
Jaeda Lee is an associate at Harper Grey LLP practicing in insurance law. An avid volunteer, Jaeda gives much of her time to the ACTS Water Charity, an organization focused on providing clean, accessible water to those who need it most.