From Natchitoches to Nuremberg: The Life of Legal Pioneer Lyria Dickason

Authors

Todd C. Peppers, Washington and Lee University School of LawFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Loyola Law Review Forum

Publication Date

4-24-2023

Abstract

Lyria was one of a small handful of women who graduated from a Louisiana law school in the 1930’s. Despite the employment barriers facing female attorneys, she went on to become one of the first female law clerks in both the federal and state judiciary. To date, Lyria’s story has not been told. I have recently discovered, however, that Lyria’s children and grandchildren preserved her letters to her family. They are a treasure trove of information about a woman whose career took her from rural Louisiana to Louisiana’s highest court as well as the post-war ruins of Nazi Germany. The letters provide a rare glimpse into long-past moments in history, including the career of a woman who worked to establish herself in the male-dominated legal profession. And the correspondence introduces us to a woman whose humor, sense of adventure, and love of family are evident on every page.

Recommended Citation

Todd C. Peppers, From Natchitoches to Nuremberg: The Life of Legal Pioneer Lyria Dickason, Loy. L. Rev. F. (Apr. 24, 2023), https://loynolawreview.org/theforum/from-natchitoches-to-nuremberg-the-life-of-legal-pioneer-lyria-dickason2442023.