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Iowa Legal History

Gerry Chamberlin

In 1965, 13-year-old Mary Beth Tinker arrived at her Des Moines junior high wearing a black armband to protest the Vietnam War.  Little did she know that this simple act would lead to a historic and controversial U.S. Supreme Court decision.

Host Ben Kieffer continues Iowa Week with a conversation on the state's legal milestones.  In addition to a conversation with Mary Beth Tinker, he discusses Iowan Arabella Mansfield, the first female lawyer in the U.S.  Also In Re the Matter of Ralph, the very first case decided by the Iowa Supreme Court concerning a former slave who was captured by bounty hunters.

Ben Kieffer is the host of IPR's River to River