16 Facts About Lila Neuenfelt

Lila Neuenfelt was the first woman circuit court judge in Michigan and the youngest woman in the US to become an attorney.

Lila Neuenfelt was born on March 2,1902, in Lewiston, Michigan, one of six children.

Lila Neuenfelt needed to wait six months to turn 21 before she could be admitted to Michigan's state bar.

Lila Neuenfelt became the youngest woman lawyer in the United States at the time.

In 1926, Lila Neuenfelt was a clerk for judge Leo Schaefer in Springwells, village; Schaefer suggested she run for judge.

However, Lila Neuenfelt didn't wanted to be recognized as a female judge, stating that gender "makes no difference with the administration of the law".

In 1929, Lila Neuenfelt ran a recall election against Schaefer, who in turn planted illegal alcohol in the back of her car.

In 1935, upon running for re-election, the corporate counsel of Dearborn ruled that she would need to run under her married name; Lila Neuenfelt successfully petitioned the court and the state attorney general, and continued to use her maiden name.

In 1940, Lila Neuenfelt issued a ruling declaring an anti-union ordinance that prohibited the distribution of handbills unconstitutional.

In 1941, Lila Neuenfelt was elected to the Michigan Circuit Court; she became Michigan's first female circuit court judge.

Lila Neuenfelt was once approached by a union member over an injunction she had issued, and responded by threatening Teamsters President Jimmy Hoffa with her "16 gauge automatic shotgun".

Lila Neuenfelt served as a circuit court judge in Michigan until her retirement in 1968.

Lila Neuenfelt died in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on October 8,1981, at the age of 79.

Lila Neuenfelt is remembered for her accomplishments in a time when there were very limited opportunities for women in law, and noted for becoming a lawyer only two years after the 19th Amendment was passed.

Lila Neuenfelt was a mentor to Cornelia Kennedy, who served as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

In 2021, Lila Neuenfelt was inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame in recognition of being the first female circuit judge in Michigan.