BY STEVE KNOPPER
An oral history of Minnesota women who
started practicing law in the 1960s and ’70s
In 1969, when Judith Oakes graduated from the University of
Minnesota Law School, there were only three other women in
her class. A male classmate asked why she had the audacity
to take his buddy’s spot: “Nobody’s ever going to hire you as
a lawyer anyway,” he told her. Recalls Oakes: “I thought that
was pretty odd, because I knew my LSATs were higher than
his.” By 1977, when Rebecca Egge Moos graduated, 30 percent
of her classmates were women. The number of bathroom
stalls was still a problem, but, she says, “In terms of my
professors, I had good support and encouragement.”
These attorneys tell vivid stories of blatant discrimination
and harassment. The sexist insults they once endured
every day have become rare, but some sentiment remains.
“Although an enormous amount of progress has been made,”
says Judith Bevis Langevin, a partner at Zelle in Minneapolis,
“I don’t know whether it ever will be a level playing field.”
Here are some of their stories. 5
‘Still Dancing
Backwards in
High Heels’
