Agnes Lundell (13 July 1878 – 17 September 1936), also known as Agneta, was the Finland's first female lawyer.[1][2]
Agnes Lundell (13 July 1878 – 17 September 1936), also known as Agneta, was the Finland's first female lawyer.[1][2]
Born on 13 July 1878 in Turku, Finland, Agnes Lundell was the daughter of Alfred Wilhelm Lundell (1839 – 1904) and Olga Wilhelmina Åkerman(1846 – 1900). She studied in a Girls’ School at Turku.[3] She later enrolled at the Imperial Alexander University to study law. In 1906 she became the first woman in Finland to graduate with a law degree.[4][5]
Upon graduation, Agnes Lundell began her legal career as the secretary of a senate division.[1] In 1911 she became the first woman lawyer in Finland.[6][7]
She also involved in business. With Hjalmar Erlund, one of her school mates from Turku, she established a bilingual law firm named “Lundell & Erlund.”[8] In the beginning of her legal career, she faced many challenges including dress code, and the use of her first name in judicial offices.[1][5]
She was also known for her feminist activities particularly her lectures on upholding women's rights.[8]
She died in Helsinki on 17 September 1936.
