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Women’s Month serves as a reminder that women, regardless of their circumstances, can accomplish anything they set their minds to. In the Philippines, many Filipinas have brought pride to the country, shattered gender stereotypes, and continue to drive positive change. One such remarkable Filipina is Erlinda Arce Ignacio Espiritu, LL.M., the first woman to graduate with a degree from Harvard Law School (HLS).
In celebration of International Women’s Day, the prestigious law school honored Erlinda’s legacy with a post highlighting her academic achievements and life after earning her Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree.
Erlinda’s journey to becoming a lawyer was inspired by the legend of the Knights of the Round Table. “The knights were always defending the defenseless, and I thought, How could I do that?” she shared in an interview for the HLS Alumni profile. “Women were supposed to stay at home, and even if they were studying, they were studying to teach.”
Growing up in the 1930s was challenging, and the Japanese occupation of the Philippines in the 1940s added to the difficulties. But Erlinda persevered, studied at Manuel L. Quezon School of Law in Manila, and became one of the few Filipina lawyers in 1947.
After learning that the Harvard Corporation had recently reversed its long-standing policy of denying women admission to its law school, she applied to HLS and was accepted. Although she initially struggled to adapt to Harvard’s case method, Erlinda credited her professors for helping her adjust. In 1951, she made history as the first woman to graduate with a degree from HLS.
Erlinda married Benjamin Espiritu, also an HLS alumnus, in Cambridge. The couple later returned to the Philippines, but life took a bittersweet turn. Two years after their return, she gave birth to a son. Just two months later, her husband succumbed to leukemia.
In 1959, she took on a significant legal case, representing a prisoner sentenced to death for the murder of a fellow inmate. Although her client was facing execution, she appealed to the Board of Pardons, and the country's president ultimately commuted the sentence.
Erlinda went on to manage her family’s business in Mindoro, assist those in need, and provide pro bono legal services until May 2006. In October 2007, at 82 years old, she returned to HLS as the guest of honor at an LL.M. dinner—her first visit in 55 years. Reflecting on her experience, she thanked the school for giving her “the opportunity to learn well, not only in matters of law but in improving the lives of our fellow men.”
Banner photos from Harvard Law School.
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