Mildred Lillie
Encyclopedia
Mildred Lillie was a California
judge whom President Richard Nixon
seriously considered for the Supreme Court of the United States
in 1971. Lillie's potential candidacy for the high court was ended by an "unqualified" rating from the American Bar Association
.
Lille was born in Ida Grove, Iowa, but moved with her mother to California's San Joaquin Valley
as a child following her parent's failed marriage. She worked at a local cannery during the Great Depression
and later as both a cook and a floor detective at Sears
to earn her tuition to law school.
Lillie obtained her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of California
. She served as an Assistant United States Attorney from 1942 through 1946 and then entered the private practice of law for about two years until Republican
Governor Earl Warren
appointed her to the Los Angeles
Municipal Court in 1947. She was next appointed to Los Angeles County
Superior Court in 1949. In 1958 Lillie, a Democrat
, was appointed to the Second District Court of Appeal by Republican Governor Goodwin Knight
.
In 1969 President Richard Nixon
nominated Clement Haynsworth
for a vacancy on the United States Supreme Court created by the resignation of Abe Fortas
. Haynesworth was rejected by the United States Senate
. In 1970 Nixon nominated G. Harrold Carswell, who also was rejected by the Senate. Nixon then nominated Harry Blackmun
, who was confirmed.
Nixon was shortly afterward faced with two new vacancies on the high bench due to the retirements of John Marshall Harlan
and Hugo Black
in 1971.
In spite of the rejections of Haynesworth and Carswell, Nixon announced that he would nominate Lillie and Hershel Friday
to the high bench. Neither was well regarded. Friday was a former member of the American Bar Association House of Delegates; Lillie was then a little-known judge on an intermediate state appellate court in California. After the ABA reported both Friday and Lillie as unqualified, Nixon nominated Lewis Powell
and William H. Rehnquist for the vacancies instead, and both were confirmed.
Widowed from her first husband, Cameron Lillie, Lillie remarried A.V. Falcone, a leading figure in the Los Angeles area Catholic Church. In part due to their charitable endeavors, Lillie earned an appointment as a Papal Dame. The Los Angeles County Law Library is named after Lillie.
Lillie remained on the Second District Court of Appeal long after she was considered for the U.S. Supreme Court, until she died of cancer in 2002 at the age of 87. At her death, Lillie held the distinction in California of serving the longest as an appellate judge (44 years) and judicial officer (56 years), bookending a career which saw her become the youngest judge assigned to sit in criminal court in Los Angeles County. Lillie lived to see Sandra Day O'Connor
become the first female U.S. Supreme Court Justice in 1981.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
judge whom President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
seriously considered for the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
in 1971. Lillie's potential candidacy for the high court was ended by an "unqualified" rating from the American Bar Association
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
.
Lille was born in Ida Grove, Iowa, but moved with her mother to California's San Joaquin Valley
San Joaquin Valley
The San Joaquin Valley is the area of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta in Stockton...
as a child following her parent's failed marriage. She worked at a local cannery during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and later as both a cook and a floor detective at Sears
Sears, Roebuck and Company
Sears, officially named Sears, Roebuck and Co., is an American chain of department stores which was founded by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck in the late 19th century...
to earn her tuition to law school.
Lillie obtained her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of California
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. She served as an Assistant United States Attorney from 1942 through 1946 and then entered the private practice of law for about two years until Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Governor Earl Warren
Earl Warren
Earl Warren was the 14th Chief Justice of the United States.He is known for the sweeping decisions of the Warren Court, which ended school segregation and transformed many areas of American law, especially regarding the rights of the accused, ending public-school-sponsored prayer, and requiring...
appointed her to the Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
Municipal Court in 1947. She was next appointed to Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
Superior Court in 1949. In 1958 Lillie, a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, was appointed to the Second District Court of Appeal by Republican Governor Goodwin Knight
Goodwin Knight
Goodwin Jess Knight , known as "Goodie Knight", was a U.S. politician who was the 31st Governor of California from 1953 until 1959.-Early life:...
.
In 1969 President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
nominated Clement Haynsworth
Clement Haynsworth
Clement Furman Haynsworth, Jr. was a United States judge and an unsuccessful nominee for the United States Supreme Court....
for a vacancy on the United States Supreme Court created by the resignation of Abe Fortas
Abe Fortas
Abraham Fortas was a U.S. Supreme Court associate justice from 1965 to 1969. Originally from Tennessee, Fortas became a law professor at Yale, and subsequently advised the Securities and Exchange Commission. He then worked at the Interior Department under Franklin D...
. Haynesworth was rejected by the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. In 1970 Nixon nominated G. Harrold Carswell, who also was rejected by the Senate. Nixon then nominated Harry Blackmun
Harry Blackmun
Harold Andrew Blackmun was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1970 until 1994. He is best known as the author of Roe v. Wade.- Early years and professional career :...
, who was confirmed.
Nixon was shortly afterward faced with two new vacancies on the high bench due to the retirements of John Marshall Harlan
John Marshall Harlan II
John Marshall Harlan was an American jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court from 1955 to 1971. His namesake was his grandfather John Marshall Harlan, another associate justice who served from 1877 to 1911.Harlan was a student at Upper Canada College and Appleby College and...
and Hugo Black
Hugo Black
Hugo Lafayette Black was an American politician and jurist. A member of the Democratic Party, Black represented Alabama in the United States Senate from 1927 to 1937, and served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1937 to 1971. Black was nominated to the Supreme...
in 1971.
In spite of the rejections of Haynesworth and Carswell, Nixon announced that he would nominate Lillie and Hershel Friday
Hershel Friday
Herschel H. Friday was an Arkansas bond lawyer whom President Richard Nixon considered appointing to the United States Supreme Court...
to the high bench. Neither was well regarded. Friday was a former member of the American Bar Association House of Delegates; Lillie was then a little-known judge on an intermediate state appellate court in California. After the ABA reported both Friday and Lillie as unqualified, Nixon nominated Lewis Powell
Lewis Franklin Powell, Jr.
Lewis Franklin Powell, Jr. was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He developed a reputation as a judicial moderate, and was known as a master of compromise and consensus-building. He was also widely well regarded by contemporaries due to his personal good manners and...
and William H. Rehnquist for the vacancies instead, and both were confirmed.
Widowed from her first husband, Cameron Lillie, Lillie remarried A.V. Falcone, a leading figure in the Los Angeles area Catholic Church. In part due to their charitable endeavors, Lillie earned an appointment as a Papal Dame. The Los Angeles County Law Library is named after Lillie.
Lillie remained on the Second District Court of Appeal long after she was considered for the U.S. Supreme Court, until she died of cancer in 2002 at the age of 87. At her death, Lillie held the distinction in California of serving the longest as an appellate judge (44 years) and judicial officer (56 years), bookending a career which saw her become the youngest judge assigned to sit in criminal court in Los Angeles County. Lillie lived to see Sandra Day O'Connor
Sandra Day O'Connor
Sandra Day O'Connor is an American jurist who was the first female member of the Supreme Court of the United States. She served as an Associate Justice from 1981 until her retirement from the Court in 2006. O'Connor was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1981...
become the first female U.S. Supreme Court Justice in 1981.
External links
- Justice Mildred Lillie: She Was Incomparable Editorial, Metropolitan News-Enterprise, Oct. 29, 2002
- To Mildred Lillie, Gender Was No Impediment Column, Metropolitan News-Enterprise, Oct. 29, 2002
- Personal Recollections of Justice Lillie Metropolitan News-Enterprise, "Perspectives column, Oct. 30, 2002
- Justice Lillie Remembered for Hard Work, Long Years of Service News story, Metropolitan News-Enterprise, Oct. 31, 2002