Genevieve R. Cline
| Genevieve Rose Cline | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Judge of the United States Customs Court | |
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In office May 26, 1928 – March 1, 1953 |
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| Appointed by | Calvin Coolidge |
| Preceded by | William C. Adamson |
| Succeeded by | Mary Donlon Alger |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
July 2, 1879 Warren, Ohio |
| Died | October 25, 1959 (aged 80) Cleveland, Ohio |
| Alma mater | Baldwin-Wallace College LL.B. |
| Profession | Judge |
Genevieve Rose Cline (b. in Warren, Ohio July 2, 1879, d. October 25, 1959) was an American jurist. In 1928, she became the first woman named to the federal judiciary, serving as a Judge for the United States Customs Court.
On the 1880 Census, she was listed as "Jennie Rose" Cline, one of the four children of Edward and Mary Cline. Her mentor seems to have been her brother John, who became a lawyer and would let his sister Genevieve come to court in Cleveland to watch him. As a result, she became fascinated by the legal profession. ("Ohio Woman...," 1928) By 1913, she had begun to work as a clerk at her brother's law office, and that led her to decide to pursue a legal career of her own. (McLaughlin, 1940) Cline took courses at Oberlin College, in Oberlin, Ohio, and graduated from Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio with her Bachelor of Laws degree in 1921. She was admitted to the Ohio bar that year. (She studied during the years from 1899 through 1926 that Baldwin University's law department was known as Cleveland Law School, one of the predecessors of the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State University.)
Having spent a number of years as her brother John's law clerk (McLaughlin, 1940), Cline went into practice with him in Cleveland during the years 1921 and 1922. But prior to making her decision to study the law, she had already become well known throughout Ohio as a club-woman. In those days, performing community service was a very common activity for women, and many joined voluntary organizations. Cline was no exception, becoming an active member of the Ohio Federation of Women's Clubs. By 1916, she was serving as chair of the federation's committee on Legislative and State Institutions. ("What Ohio Club Women," 1916). She was an advocate for such issues as consumer protection and more equitable treatment of women under the law. (Rood, 1917; "Ohio Federation," 1920) Cline was described in one article as a "brilliant and forceful speaker" who was passionate about issues that affected women and children. ("Women Leaders," 1920) At club meetings, she frequently gave reports about pending legislation that might affect women. ("Erie County Federation," 1921) And in the era before women got the right to vote, Cline was active in working for suffrage. (Goodhue, 1949) During the 1910s, Cline served as president of the Cleveland Federation of Women's Clubs for six years, and was chairman of the Ohio Federation of Women's Clubs for two years.
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