how did lillian exum clement learn to be a lawyer?

by Nova Nolan DVM Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago 5 min read

Clement took a job as an office deputy in the Buncombe County sheriff's department at the age of 14 and studied law with James Jefferson Britt and Robert G. Goldstein in her spare time. In 1916, she earned one of the highest scores on the state bar exam among 70 students and received an award.

Full Answer

Who is Exum Clement?

Lillian Exum Clement, known as "Exum" or "Ex" was the sixth of seven children born to George Washington Clement and Sara Elizabeth Burnett. Clement attended high school in Asheville, North Carolina and then Asheville Business College, after being encouraged to do so by prominent Asheville-area philanthropist Edith Vanderbilt. Clement's father was employed as a foreman by Edith's husband, George Vanderbilt. Clement took a job as an office deputy in the Buncombe County sheriff's department at the age of 14 and studied law with James Jefferson Britt and Robert G. Goldstein in her spare time. In 1916, she earned one of the highest scores on the state bar exam among 70 students and received an award. She became a criminal lawyer in 1917 and was the first female attorney in North Carolina without male partners. She served as chief clerk of the Buncombe County draft board.

Where is Lillian Exum Clement buried?

R. Eugene Taylor. Lillian Exum Clement's gravestone located at Riverside Cemetery in Asheville, North Carolina. Lillian Exum Clement (1894–1925), later known as Lillian Stafford, was an American politician who was the first woman elected to the North Carolina General Assembly and the first woman to serve in any state legislature in ...

What did Clement do in 1920?

In 1920, Clement was nominated as a candidate by the Buncombe County Democrats and was elected to the General Assembly of 1921 's House of Representatives by an all-male electorate by the overwhelming margin of 10,368 to 41. While in office, she introduced seventeen bills, sixteen of which passed. She introduced legislation to reduce the time required for a woman to show abandonment by her husband as grounds for divorce from 10 years to five years. One of her bills required inoculations of cows against tuberculosis. She was the first lawmaker in North Carolina to sponsor legislation requiring voting privacy.

Overview

Personal life

Political career

In 1920, Clement was nominated as a candidate by the Buncombe County Democrats and was elected to the General Assembly of 1921's House of Representatives by an all-male electorate by the overwhelming margin of 10,368 to 41. While in office, she introduced seventeen bills, sixteen of which passed. She introduced legislation to reduce the time required for a woman to show abandonment by her husband as grounds for divorce from 10 years to five years. One of her bill…

Legacy

A North Carolina progressive fundraising group, founded in 1997, is named "Lillian's List" in her honor. The organization provides training and support for pro-choice women candidates for North Carolina state elected offices.
A state historical marker located at Charlotte Street at College Street, Asheville, North Carolina, honors Clement. It reads, "First female legislator in the South. Elected to N.C. House, 1920. Her l…

External links

• Lillian's List
• Women in the General Assembly
• This Month in North Carolina History (November 1920)
• Ibiblio.org