Criminal justice has long been a male-dominated field. However, the gender gap is rapidly shrinking as more women step into roles traditionally held by men. These pioneers are not only reducing gender disparity–they are also making significant contributions and bringing unique perspectives to the field. This women’s history month, let’s celebrate just a few of these women:
Marie Connolly Owens is considered the first female police officer in the United States. After her husband’s passing in 1888, she was appointed as a sanitary worker by Chicago in 1889, investigating child labor violations. She went above and beyond when she tracked down and turned in fathers for abandoning their children. In 1891, she was transferred to the Chicago Police Department and granted full arrest powers as Detective Sergeant No. 97 (although it is said that Alice Stebbins Wells was actually the first woman to be granted arrest powers).
Sandra Day O’Connor was the first female Supreme Court justice. She enrolled in Stanford University at 16 and received her undergraduate and law degrees. She was nominated to the Supreme Court by Ronald Reagan in 1981 and served until her retirement in 2006. She and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the second woman to serve on the US Supreme Court, had a special relationship despite slightly different political leanings and were both known for their pragmatic decision making. They also faced similar barriers in their careers, particularly in terms of finding a job, which was practically impossible at the time. She died in 2023.
Judy Sheindlin, also known as Judge Judy, is the star of the most popular courtroom TV show of all time. She graduated from New York Law School as the only woman in her class and became an attorney in 1965. She became a successful prosecutor in New York’s family courts and was appointed a judge in the Bronx in 1982. Her brutal honesty following her appearance on 60 Minutes in 1993 inspired executives to propose Judge Judy in 1996. She has written several books, including Don’t Pee on My Leg and Tell Me It’s Raining and Beauty Fades, Dumb is Forever. In 2021, the reality show ended and was reborn as Judy Justice.
Mary Louisa Willard, a chemistry professor at Pennsylvania State University, made a name for herself in criminology with her forensic science abilities. Her chemistry expertise made her one of very few people qualified to identify and provide evidence of certain crimes. She proved herself a valuable resource in cases involving paint analysis, arson, and poisonings, especially during Prohibition. In her community, she was known for her pink Cadillac and throwing birthday parties for her cocker spaniels.
Diane Humetewa, a member of the Hopi tribe in Arizona, made history in 2014 as the first American Indian woman to become a federal judge. She was also the first American Indian woman to be appointed as a U.S. Attorney in 2007. In addition to her many achievements and professional memberships, she was recently honored by the ABA Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession.
We all know who Kamala Harris is. Though she is most known for her presidential candidacy and her position as Vice President of the United States, she has an extensive background in criminal justice, as well. She earned her law degree from UCSF in 1989 and became California’s attorney general in 2010, becoming the first woman and first Black American in the position. She took office in the Senate in 2017, making her the first Indian American and second Black American woman to serve.
Alaska Packard Davidson became the FBI’s first female Special Agent in 1922. At that time, the FBI primarily hired female agents to assist with investigations related to interstate sex trafficking. Two years later, however, she was asked to resign by newly appointed director J. Edgar Hoover, who did not admit any female agents during his tenure. It wasn’t until 1972, following Hoover’s death and the passage of the Equal Employment Opportunity Act, that women were again allowed to join the FBI’s ranks.
Clea Koff, forensic anthropologist, was born in England, spending her childhood in England, East Africa, and the US. She received her degrees in the US: a Bachelor’s in anthropology from Stanford and a Master’s from UNL. She worked as a forensic expert for the United Nations, investigating war crimes and crimes against humanity in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia from 1996-2004. She wrote a memoir about her experience called The Bone Woman (published in 2004). She co-coordinated the Anthropology Laboratory of the UN Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus in 2006 and founded the US non-profit Missing Persons Identification Resource Center. She currently writes fiction, including The Jayne and Steelie Series.