In 1894, the Louisiana Legislature authorized colleges in the State of Louisiana to confer diplomas on women in the practice of Law and other professions.
Three years later, in 1897, Miss Bettie Runnels became the first female law student in Louisiana when she entered Tulane University. She was approximately 26 years old, from an affluent and well-connected family, and had worked at a law firm as a stenographer. Miss Runnels was graduated in 1898, and became the first woman to practice law in Louisiana.
