About this item
Through a life that spanned every decade of the twentieth century, Supreme Court advocate Bessie Margolin shaped modern American labor policy while creating a place for female lawyers in the nation's highest courts. Despite her beginnings in an orphanage and her rare position as a southern, Jewish woman pursuing a legal profession, Margolin became an important and influential Supreme Court advocate. In this comprehensive biography, Marlene Trestman reveals the forces that propelled and the obstacles that impeded Margolin's remarkable journey, illuminating the life of this trailblazing woman. Raised in the Jewish Orphans' Home in New Orleans, Margolin received an extraordinary education at the Isidore Newman Manual Training School. Both institutions stressed that good citizenship, hard work, and respect for authority could help people achieve economic security and improve their social status.
About the Author
Orphaned at age 11, Marlene Trestman shared childhood experiences with her mentor and remarkable biographical subject, Bessie Margolin, separated by a half century. Both grew up as wards of New Orleans's Jewish Orphans' Home (or its successor, the Jewish Children's Regional Service in Marlene's case) and for that reason were educated at the Isidore Newman School. While the two women developed a personal relationship in the 1970s and 1980s, little did Margolin realize she was inspiring her future biographer. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Goucher College, Marlene Trestman earned her law degree from George Washington University and an MBA from Loyola of Maryland's Sellinger Business School. After a three decade legal career devoted to consumer protection and public health, Marlene retired as Special Assistant to the Maryland Attorney General to complete Margolin's biography, . Marlene has received funding awards from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute, and a literary award from the Supreme Court Historical Society. With a fellowship from the American Jewish Archives, Marlene is writing her second book, She lives in Baltimore, MD and loves visiting her native New Orleans.
