Ethel Benjamin | |
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Born | 19 January 1875 Dunedin, New Zealand |
Died | 14 October 1943 | (aged 68)
Other names | De Costa |
Alma mater | University of New Zealand |
Occupation(s) | Lawyer, businesswoman |
Years active | 1897–1943 |
Known for | New Zealand's first female lawyer |
Ethel Rebecca Benjamin (19 January 1875 – 14 October 1943) was New Zealand's first female lawyer. On 17 September 1897, she became the first woman in the British Empire to appear as counsel in court, representing a client for the recovery of a debt. She was the second woman in the Empire to be admitted as a barrister and solicitor, two months after Clara Brett Martin of Canada.[1]