Bradwell v. Illinois The Bradwell v. Illinois was a United States Supreme Court case appealed by Myra Bradwell, arguing that Bradwell was rejected to be a lawyer and experienced sexual discrimination in 1783. Myra Bradwell was a journal publisher, and she attempted to practice laws in the Illinois bar. Since she was qualified, a Illinois judge and state’s attorney recommended her to the Illinois Supreme Court to issue her a lawyer license in 1869. However, the Court refused her admission in 1870, claiming the “axiomatic truth” that “it belonged to men to make, apply, and excuse the laws” (19). Bardwell thought it was unfair, so she fought for the decisions and wanted the US Supreme Court to hear her case. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court disagreed with Bradwell and …show more content…
This notion of inferiority has lasted for a long period and even still exists in the modern society. The Bradwell v. Illinois is an unjust case because it claims the patriarchy and sexual hierarchy that put women in lower status compared to men in the 19th century United States. For instance, while making the final decision towards Bradwell’s application, the Illinois Supreme Court criticized that “only men were admitted to the bar, and the legislature had not made any changes this respect…It could not be supposed that the legislature had intended to adopt any different rule”(19). In addition, the majority at that time argued the nature and mission of woman should be “wife and mother” (20). Fighting for the case, Bradwell referred the fourteenth amendment as her argument to appeal, which “declares that no state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges and immunities of citizens of the United States”(19). In other words, every American citizen obtains equal right and is protected by the law. In this case, women, as citizens, are able to pursue every profession. Nevertheless, the Supreme Court majority