Clara Brett Martin was born, and spent her entire life in
Toronto, Canada. In 1890, she obtained a mathematics degree from
Trinity College and began a teaching career. But when, in 1891,
she made known to the Law Society of Upper Canada (Ontario) that
she sought admission to the bar, an extraordinary sequence of
events was put in motion. First, the indignant male law society
set up committees to debate the matter while the legal press
spoke for far too many lawyers. The Canada Law Journal of 1896
wrote: "We know of no public advantage to be gained by (women)
being admitted to the Bar.... a woman seeking a profession where
she is bound to meet much that would offend the natural modesty
of her sex." One prominent lawyer published an open letter in
the local newspaper, the Globe: "What effect ... will be
produced on the dignity of the court by the appearance ... of a
female barrister, availing herself in her appeal to the jury ...
of the influence of her sex? How much control do they think a
judge will be able t