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Lillian Gordon - 1 Jan. 1985
- Name
- Lillian Gordon
- Material Format
- sound recording
- Interview Date
- 1 Jan. 1985
- Source
- Oral Histories
- Name
- Lillian Gordon
- Number
- OH 209
- Subject
- Lawyers
- Antisemitism
- Discrimination
- Interview Date
- 1 Jan. 1985
- Quantity
- 2 cassettes (1 copy)
- 2 WAV files
- Interviewer
- Phyllis Platnick
- Total Running Time
- 60 min.
- Conservation
- Copied August 2003
- Digitzed September 2014
- Use Restrictions
- Copyright is held by the Ontario Jewish Archives. Please contact the archives to obtain permission prior to use.
- Biography
- Lillian Gordon was born in Toronto in 1908. She was one of three women to graduate from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1928. Gordon opened her own real estate law practice in Toronto and continued her practice until she retired in 1981.
- Material Format
- sound recording
- Name Access
- University of Toronto
- Geographic Access
- Toronto (Ont.)
- Original Format
- Audio cassette
- Copy Format
- Audio cassette
- Digital file
- Transcript
- 0:00-6.56: Lillian Gordon was born in Toronto in 1908 to Annie and Aaron Sandler. In this portion of the interview, Gordon discusses her parents, the family catering business, and her father’s work as a union organizer in the needle trade. 7:15-8:59: Gordon discusses the requirements for entry into the Osgoode Law School in 1926. 9:00-10:19: Gordon discusses her fellow students at Osgoode Hall from 1926–1929. 10:20-11:48: Gordon discusses looking for a job within the legal profession after graduating from Osgoode Hall in 1929. 11:49-13:10: Gordon discusses looking for a location to open her own law office. 13:11-14:20: Gordon discusses being hired as an investigator for Eaton’s and being dismissed when it was learned she was Jewish. 14:21-15:34: Gordon discusses looking for a real estate office in which to open her own practice. 15:35-16:56: Gordon discusses antisemitism within the legal profession. 16:57-19:24: Gordon discusses her move to California in 1936. 19:25-20:34: Gordon discusses how the scarcity of male lawyers during the Second World War resulted in increased business within her own legal practice. 20:35-22:05: Gordon discusses the problems of being a woman within the legal profession (discussion strays). 22:06-24:45: Gordon discusses the challenges she faced as a female lawyer during the 1930s. 24:46-28:40: Gordon discusses her professional and personal dealings with financial institutions. 28:41-28:54: Gordon discusses how she came to be accepted as a woman and a Jew by her colleagues and clients. 28:55-29:42: Gordon discusses the reaction by colleagues to the hiring of the first Black person to work in the office. 29:43-31:13: Gordon discusses her choice of wardrobe for the office and the courtroom. Side 2: 0-9:20: Gordon discusses early childhood memories. 9:21-11:32: Gordon discusses the diversity of her fellow students at Jarvis Collegiate. 11:33-13:32: Gordon discusses learning to skate and to ride a bicycle. 13:33-16:10: Gordon discusses learning to drive a car. 16:12-22:30: Gordon talks about the early years of her marriage to Sandy Gordon. 22:31-24:30: Gordon reminisces about her law career from her student days until her retirement from law. 24:31-29:00: Gordon discusses working for J. L. Cohen at the beginning of her law career. Photo: Item 1216 Osgoode Hall graduation 1928
- Source
- Oral Histories