Hon. Mary Ann Killeen '52 (2002)

Segment Synopsis: Talks about where she was born and raised. Undergraduate program at Trinity College. Mentions undergraduate work in history and political science. Parents' occupations and attitude towards women being educated. Number of brothers. Ethnicity. Grandmother's maiden name was Staal. Father's unenthusiastic attitude towards women in law. Concerned for her. Katherine Killeen Kilby, father's cousin, was an attorney. Lists tasks prior to formal law education. 1944 spent summer in father's law office, usually ran errands, went to different courts. Remembered father attending bar association dinners. Summer work in college, would come back to Buffalo. During her second year, spent most time in her father's law office. School was secondary to law office, later focused on school. Remembering where school was located while other buildings were being constructed. Perceptions of other lawyer relatives. Great Uncle Henry Killeen was a lawyer around the turn of the century, a female cousin was with Justice Department, other cousin was United States attorney in Buffalo. Cousin was the only female attorney she knew. Despite interest in art, was more drawn to Washington. Felt needed in her father's law office while he was unwell. He had a general practice, but notes other positions he held and the location of the building.

Keywords: American Bar Association; Choice of Law; Discrimination / Prejudice; Eagle Street Campus; Ellicott Square Building; Ethnicity / Diversity; Experience as Student; Family; Father; Gender; Grandparents; Killeen, Henry; Law Firms; Other Relatives; Perceptions; Trinity College; UB Law School general; Undergraduate Education; Value of Education; Washington DC; Women and Gender

Subjects: FAMILY HISTORY; GENDER; LAW; EDUCATION

Segment Synopsis: Expectations about UB Law School: No expectations. No surprises. Warmth from faculty. Collegiality and a determined attitude among students, many of whom were utilizing the GI Bill for their degree. Notes that there were three female law students out of 100, negative attitudes towards herself and classmates. Men complained that their friends couldn't get in because women took up places without planning on working in law. Thought the professors were very supportive. Favorite was Dean Hyman. Asking for parents' advice when choosing to go to law school, their opinion of women seeking higher education. Financial reasons kept her in Buffalo. Familiarity with area and local individuals swayed decision. Thought the school's reputation was good despite conflict/competition between school and practitioners. Possibly applied through correspondence. Process was uneventful. Took the LSAT in Washington, passed. 90 percent of classmates were local, with a few from surrounding area. Most came directly from either UB undergrad or Canisius. Veterans supporting families through law school. Marital status of other female classmates, one of whom was married to Edward B Murphy and who possibly had not earned an undergraduate degree and another dropped out during her freshman year. No specific memory, but fondly recalls the camaraderie of faculty and students. Fondly remembers Dean Hyman and Dr. Arthur Lenhoff, notes coursework in constitutional law, legislation and administrative law. Was not exposed to courtroom as part of course curriculum, but proximity to court made watching court proceedings easier during lunch breaks.

Keywords: Application process; Choosing UB Law School; Class Composition; Classes; Discrimination / Prejudice; Ethnicity / Diversity; Expectations; Experience as Student; Faculty / Professors; Fondest Memory; GI Bill; Hyman, Jacob; LSAT; Law Courses; Law School / Gender; Law Students; Legal Education; Lenhoff, Arthur; Murphy, Edward B.; Other Law Schools general; Perceptions; Reputation; Trial Practice; UB Law School general; Washington DC

Subjects: GENDER; UB LAW: GENDER; UB LAW AS STUDENT

Segment Synopsis: Considered leaving law school. Personal decision was based on her father's health, hoped to work with him, unsure of being in profession without him and his practice. Claims she was naive in reference to women finding work in law. Lists female classmates who have maintained friendships. Mary Davey-Carr, Phyllis (Hubbard) Wilkinson, Alfreda (Wilczek) Slewinski, June Sworobuk. Felt prepared by UB Law School with a positive sense of competitiveness. Students were practitioners with whom she worked after law school. Pick up the practice in a viable milieu. Not affected by problems of finding work as a woman, but aware of the problems. Working in the Kennefick, Cook et. al. firm due to a building boom in Buffalo. Needed help in real estate. This was the time when the Buffalo suburbs, Niagara Falls Boulevard, were developing and the big builders were Pierce and Pierce.

Keywords: Buffalo History; Career / Early; Career / Gender; Discrimination / Prejudice; Law Firms; Law School / Gender; Law Students; Legal Community; Legal Education; Perceptions; Quit; Relationships; UB Law School general; UB Preparation; Women; Women and Gender

Subjects: CAREER: LEGAL; UB LAW AS STUDENT; UB LAW: GENDER

Segment Synopsis: Awareness of female confinement. Rarely permitted to extend law services beyond certain areas. Women were not welcome or permitted in all areas of the law, real estate was permissible, litigation was not. Unsure whether gender played a role in being turned down for positions. Notes turnabout during 1952-1960's. Did not see other discrimination based on ethnicity or religion. Unaware of acceptance in certain areas, but notes a glass ceiling effect beyond public sector. Informal assistance from professors. 16 years with Phillips Lytle firm. Mentions different aspects of the field that she focused on. Describing transition from law office to family court including social changes such as lack of matrimonial bar. Societal need for stronger representation in Family Court. Judge Jacob Latona specifically assigned women lawyers to criminal cases. Were women criminals so should be women lawyers. Burglary, assault, and manslaughter case which she took a month off to work on while receiving help from the law firm.

Keywords: Accomplishments; Career / Early; Career / Gender; Discrimination / Prejudice; Experience as Student; Family Court; Gender; Judiciary; Latona, Jacob; Law Firms; Legal Community; Perceptions; Women; Women and Gender

Subjects: CAREER: GENDER; CAREER: LEGAL

Segment Synopsis: Greatest professional experience: Working as Supervising Judge in family court. Description of family court in a general sense, positive and negative aspects. Limitations to real estate. Shift to acceptance of women lawyers and growth of behavioral sciences. Changes for better in general, but old time professionalism has been lost. Variety of interests, specifically in art. Can't really answer but possibly change to art. Her friends were focused on marriage while she focused on school. She later married Robert Ast. Be committed, old fashioned values are not that old fashioned. Continuing involvement was discontinued when the school moved from downtown Buffalo. Continues to meet with students, but not formally with the school or alumni. Would move the law school back to Buffalo based on the proximity to practicing lawyers. Believes it would be mutually educational for students and lawyers.

Keywords: Accomplishments; Career / Gender; Career / Professional Experience; Continuing Role; Family Court; Greatest Achievement; Judiciary; Law Students; Legal Community; Location; Perceptions; Relationship with UB Law; Relationships; Social Life; Spouse; UB Law School general; Value of Education; Advice

Subjects: CAREER: GENDER; CAREER: LEGAL; UB LAW MISCELLANEOUS; PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Segment Synopsis: First women lawyers she heard about were Cecil Wiener and Helen Z.M. Rodgers. Awareness of them swayed her father into being permissive regarding her professional choice. Guarded attitude towards women students. Depended on school. UB classmates some were antagonistic because women took place of other male applicants. Students from larger universities were more accepting of women attending law school. Males were vocally dominant in classrooms. Professors were encouraging. 8-9 women in the school. Five in her class started and completed. Mary Davey-Carr, Phyllis (Hubbard) Wilkinson, Alfreda (Wilczek) Slewinski, June Sworobuk. Women focused on obtaining jobs, males seemed to have specific positions in mind. Women were happy just to get a job. Private sector - male student who graduated after Killeen was paid considerably more than Killeen and another female coworker. Shocked and hurt by this. Father thought it was acceptable. Women are accepted in all areas of law now, unlike when she graduated - attribution of changes due to civil rights movement. Advances in Behavioral sciences led to growth of female lawyer's role. Name of her father's law offices, lists the duties she performed at the firm.

Keywords: Class Composition; Classes; Discrimination / Prejudice; Experience as Student; Family Court; Gender; Law Courses; Law Firms; Law School / Gender; Law Students; Legal Education; Rodgers, Helen Z.M.; Role Models; Women; Women and Gender; Career / Gender

Subjects: CAREER: GENDER; GENDER; LAW; CAREER: LEGAL