User:Katiemweekley/Lettie Lavilla Burlingame

Lettie Lavilla Burlingame was born in Lockport, Illinois on August 6, 1859. She was the youngest daughter of Harmon R. Burlingame (1828-1911) and Olive C. Burlingame (1830-1913) who were 30 and 29 years old at the time of her birth. She had an older sister, Amy Artemesia Burlingame, who was born in 1851 and died in 1897. Lettie and her family moved to Joliet, Will County, Illinois when she was a young girl. Burlingame was an avid writer as she authored poems, stories, essays, diaries, and other works. In addition, she became the very first female attorney in Will County, Illinois. Burlingame was also a suffragette and the president of the Joliet Equal Suffrage Association. She died at age 31 on December 12, 1890, in Joliet, Illinois and is buried at Oakwood Cemetery, Joliet Township, Illinois.

Early Life
Lettie Lavilla Burlingame was described as an ambitious, caring, intelligent, and religious young woman. According to her mother, she was an admirer of nature from childhood to womanhood. Burlingame was an exuberant young woman who was fascinated by the world and sympathetic to its struggles. She always had a desire to help others. She documented her life in her extensive diary entries and stories. When she was nine years old she and her family moved to Sterling, Illinois and just 3 years after moved to Joliet, Illinois. When she was twelve years old, she wrote about her love of school and her wish to become a school teacher. She wrote compositions about who and what was around her and even started writing poems at this young age.

Her Writings
Burlingame started writing when she was around 9 years old. She wrote compositions in school and began writing poems as well. She kept a diary in her late teens, from 1880-1885, and in these entries she recalled her childhood chronologically, adding reflections and commentary. As she got older, Burlingame wrote short stories, more poems, a range of essays on different topics, and songs. The topics she covered in her writings varied. In some of her works, her attention was on nature and the world. Others focused on activism, suffrage, women's sphere, and socialism. She also authored many works about religion and its influence on society. Burlingame wrote many speeches and letters to and for her loved ones. Burlingame, in her activism efforts, wrote the lyrics and music to a song called "Put on the Orange Ribbon: A Suffrage Song." This song was dedicated to the Equal Suffragists of Illinois, the association of which she was the president.

Legal Education and Career
Burlingame began her legal career and her studies in 1883. At this time, she worked in a lawyer’s office where she stayed until she decided to enter law school. She studied law at Ann Arbor(University of Michigan) where she excelled and was one of the few female law students. Before entering law school, Burlingame was nervous about the scarcity of female law students. At this time, there were fewer than 7 female law students at the University of Michigan. Although this is a small number, it was the largest number of female law students the school had since they began admitting women in 1870. However, this was an opportunity for Burlingame and her fellow female classmates to bond and form friendships. The bonds that were created evolved into what her and her classmates called the "Equity Club" at the school. She was a founding member of the club and was elected to be the chairman. The purpose of the club was to have an inclusive, professional community for women in the Law Department. She graduated in 1886 and was voted the Class Poet by her classmates.

After graduating, Burlingame was admitted to the State Bar of Michigan. Subsequently, she was admitted to the State Bar of Illinois where she began her practice. She opened her office for practice in Joliet in January of 1888. The work she conducted was mainly civil work in the Circuit Court along with some criminal work. In her practice, she worked with clients from different counties and states.

Legacy
Lettie Lavilla Burlingame produced a lot of work over the course of her life and her work was very highly regarded, and she was recognized for her contributions by her peers. Burlingame played a significant role in her many endeavors to create spaces and opportunities for women. This is proven through her work with the Equal Suffrage Association, The Equity Club, and her legal cases. Burlingame being the first female attorney in Will County and taking an active role in the suffrage movement did not go unnoticed and was pivotal for the women in her community. Will County Bar Association even put together a restoration project for Burlingame to recognize and honor her who they state was "a trailblazer for women in our legal community."