Abstract

GOMEZ MENDOZA, Erika. “The Female Attorney”. María Sandoval before the Jurado Popular in Mexico City, 1896-1901. Estud. hist. mod. contemp. Mex [online]. 2025, n.70, pp.34-59.  Epub July 04, 2025. ISSN 0185-2620.  https://doi.org/10.22201/iih.24485004e.2025.70.78006.

This article explores the professional practice of the first female attorney in Mexico City during the final decade of the 19th century. The study reveals that María Sandoval served as a defense attorney in jury trials for criminal law for at least five years (1896-1901). It inquiries whether the sex of the litigant and social prejudices related to women’s legal practice posed obstacles to her professional development. An extensive review and meticulous study of the 19th-century press was necessary to identify and reconstruct the earliest indications of the criminal cases she handled in her role as defense attorney.

Keywords : María Sandoval; female defense attorney; people’s jury; criminal law; litigation.

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