Members of The Iowa State Bar Association (ISBA) joined community leaders, judges, and attorneys in Mount Pleasant on May 23 to celebrate the 180th birthday of Arabella Babb Mansfield, the first woman admitted to the practice of law in the United States.
The birthday celebration, sponsored by the ISBA Young Lawyers Division, took place in Central Park during the Farmhouse Central Vintage Market. The event featured live music, a birthday cake, and an opportunity to reflect on Mansfield’s lasting impact on the legal profession.
Local attorney Abbie Liechty organized the celebration with assistance from Young Lawyers Division member Ed Hayer of Burlington. Among those attending were retired Judge Cynthia Danielson, Senior Judge Mary Ann Brown, Magistrate Judge Tim Liechty, attorney Danny Cornell, ISBA President Kathy Law, and ISBA President-Elect Stephanie Hinz. Law even helped serve birthday cake during the afternoon festivities.
The gathering was held just steps from the historic location where Mansfield made legal history in 1869. After studying law with her brother, attorney Washington Irving Babb, Mansfield successfully passed the Iowa bar examination and was admitted to practice law on June 15, 1869, becoming the first woman formally admitted to the bar in the United States.
Her achievement quickly led to broader change. In 1870, Iowa became the first state to expressly authorize the admission of women to the practice of law by statute. Mansfield also became a leader in the women's rights movement, serving as permanent secretary of the first Iowa Women's Rights Convention, held in Mount Pleasant, and as president of the Henry County Woman Suffrage Association.
To learn more about Arabella Mansfield's groundbreaking career and her impact on the legal profession, read Emily Gould Chafa's March 2026 The Iowa Lawyer article, "Commemorating Women's History Month: A Leader Who Opened Doors for Others."
Although Mansfield and her husband, John Mansfield, were both admitted to the Iowa bar on the same day, neither pursued a traditional law practice. Instead, they devoted much of their careers to education. Mansfield taught at Iowa Wesleyan College and later at DePauw University, where she became a dean and continued advocating for expanded opportunities for women.
The Mount Pleasant celebration highlighted Iowa's unique role in advancing opportunities for women in the legal profession and served as a reminder of Mansfield's enduring legacy. What began with one woman challenging barriers to bar admission helped open doors for generations of lawyers who followed. As attendees gathered to share cake, music, and stories, the event honored not only a historic first but also a legacy of leadership, equality, and service that continues to inspire Iowa's legal community today.
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