List of first women lawyers and judges in Nevada

This is a list of the first women lawyer(s) and judge(s) in Nevada. It includes the year in which the women were admitted to practice law (in parentheses). Also included are women who achieved other distinctions such becoming the first in their state to graduate from law school or become a political figure.

Firsts in Nevada's history

Lawyers

First female (admitted): Laura May Tilden Wilson (1893) First female (actively practice): Georgia J. Johnson Dooley (1898) First female (employed by U.S. Commissioner): Anna M. Warren (1899) in 1913 First native-born and Jewish American female: Felice Cohn (1902) First African American females: Johnnie B. Rawlinson and Viveca Monet Woods (1980)

Law Clerk

First female law clerk for the Supreme Court of Nevada: Rose Bird (c. 1965)

State judges

First female (municipal court): Robin A. Wright (1979) in 1981

First female (district court): Miriam Shearing (1969) in 1983

First female (Supreme Court of Nevada; Chief Justice): Miriam Shearing (1969) during tenure of 1993-2005 First African American female (any court level): Karen P. Bennett-Haron (1989) in 2002 First Asian American female: Miranda Du (1994) First openly lesbian female (Nevada Supreme Court): Lidia S. Stiglich (2008) in 2016 First African American female (state court): Tierra Jones in 2017 First female (Chief Judge; Nevada Court of Appeals): Abbi Silver (1990) in 2017 First Korean American (female) (Eighth Judicial District Court): Soonhee "Sunny" Bailey in 2021 First African American and Asian American female (Supreme Court of Nevada): Patricia Lee in 2022

Federal judges

First female (U.S. Magistrate Judge of the District of Nevada): Phyllis H. Atkins (1966) in 1980 First female (U.S. Bankruptcy Court): Linda B. Riegle (1978) in 1988 First African American female (U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada):Johnnie B. Rawlinson (1980) in 1998 First African American female (U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit): Johnnie B. Rawlinson (1980) in 2000 First Hispanic American female (U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada): Gloria Navarro (1994) in 2010 First Asian American female (U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada): Miranda Du (1994) in 2012

Attorney General of Nevada

First female: Frankie Sue Del Papa (1974) in 1990

First Latino American female: Catherine Cortez Masto in 2007

Assistant Attorney General

First female: Felice Cohn (1902)

Federal Public Defender

First female: Franny A. Forsman (1977) in 1989

United States Attorney

First female: Kathryn E. Landreth (1981) from 1993-2001

First Latino American (female) (Chief of the Criminal Division for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada): Cristina D. Silva

Public Defender

First female: Terri Steik Roeser (1981) in 1987

District Attorney

First female: Edna C. Plummer (1907) in 1918

First females (elected): Eileen Barnett (1979) and Virginia R. Shane (1980) First female (serve for three counties): Patricia Dillon Cafferata

City Attorney

First female: Patricia A. Lynch (1973) in 1987

First African American (female): Sandra Morgan

Political Office

First female (Secretary of State of Nevada): Frankie Sue Del Papa (1974) from 1987-1991 First Latino American female (Senate): Catherine Cortez Masto (1990) in 2017