When she passed away this spring at age 101, Patricia Collins Butler 31L, one of the first three female graduates from Emory University School of Law, left a trailblazing legacy of achievement. A faithful friend to Emory Law, she also made a $1 million bequest for student scholarships.
“Pat’s generosity through her gift to Emory Law creates a lasting legacy for our students,” said Dean David F. Partlett. “Through her scholarship, she has helped make it possible for our students to pursue their goals, regardless of their chosen career paths.”
Butler enrolled at Emory Law in 1928, the only woman in a class of 30. She finished second in her class. After struggling to find a position with a local firm, she was hired to establish the antitrust library for the Department of Justice. She would go on to work for 16 attorneys general, including Robert Kennedy. In 1949, she joined the ranks of the first female lawyers to argue a case, Johnson v. Shaughnessy, before the U.S. Supreme Court. Although she took over the case in an emergency, Butler won.
For years, Butler had few female colleagues at the Justice Department. Janet Reno, the only female U.S. attorney general, has called Butler a “pioneer among women” at the department. During her time at the attorney general’s office, she became friends with Chief Justice Warren Burger. That friendship led to the founding of the Supreme Court Historical Society in 1974. Butler also was the founding secretary of the American Bar Association’s section on administrative law and the founding editor of what is now the Federal Register.
“The legal community has lost a great treasure in Pat,” Dean Partlett said. “Through her determination and love for the law, she proved to the students who followed her that there are no barriers to success that cannot be overcome. She truly was a pioneer and a wonderful friend to Emory Law.”
Butler was named a Distinguished Alumna by Emory Law in 1997 and awarded the Emory Medal, the highest honor for an alumnus, in 2000. She is pictured above at an April event held in her honor at Emory Law. (Standing from left: Larry Reicher 08L, JD Costa 09L, Mark Richardson 09L. Seated from left: Patricia Collins Butler 31L, Laura Settlemyer 08L, Courtney Taylor 08L.)
August 2009
