Then (pictured left): Leary in 1984 when she became the first woman to head a library at one of the top five U.S. law schools, upon assuming directorship of the University of Michigan Law School library. Now (pictured right): Leary today, who retired in 2011 from the Michigan Law School library after serving 38 years there—her entire professional legal career.
Margaret Leary ’73 had already earned a master’s degree in library science and wanted to continue her education with a PhD in political science, but her university, in 1968, only accepted her into the master’s program. When she asked why they didn’t accept her into the doctoral program, they said they didn’t like admitting women because pregnancies and divorces caused them to drop out.
“As soon as I heard him say that,” Leary said, “I instantly knew I didn’t want to study there if that’s how they think about women.”
Leary then applied to William Mitchell College of Law, where she was admitted with open arms, and earned a juris doctorate near the top of her class. A decision she doesn’t regret.
There she was able to attend classes including constitutional law, legislation, and property law at night. She worked for two years at the school’s library during the day, and another year at the Legal Aid Society of Minneapolis as a student lawyer.
“I just loved being at that law school. And I’m grateful that they offered it at night because I couldn’t have attended otherwise,” said Leary. “I made really good friends there, and I’m still in touch with many of the ones who are still alive. I considered then Dean Doug Heidenrich ’61 to be one of my heroes. It’s good to see that Mitchell Hamline is still serving the same purpose as it did back then, only expanded and evolved, which is necessary in legal education. It shows with the diversity of its students.”
After graduating law school, Leary was discouraged that local firms weren’t as open to hiring women as attorneys. Leary’s mother, still living in their hometown of Oberlin, Ohio, clipped an ad from the newspaper for an opportunity at the University of Michigan Law Library and mailed it to her daughter in Minnesota. The school was looking for someone with both a law degree and a library degree, but the position wasn’t for a lawyer—instead, it was for a director in the legal profession. Leary hadn’t considered applying her education toward a job like this, but it ended up being perfect and became her life’s career.
At the University of Michigan Law Library, Leary first served as assistant director, moved up to associate director, and ultimately was promoted in 1984 to director until she retired in 2011. While there, she developed the “Michigan model” of direct librarian support for faculty research; was consultant to Nottingham University (England) Law School, Northwestern University Libraries, and Melbourne (Australia) University Law School; and served on 15 accreditation teams for the American Bar Association.
“I loved my job at the University Michigan Law Library. It’s one of the best law libraries in the world with a collection from every country. People come from all over the world because of the collection and the services the library has to offer. The increased support that law librarians have provided to faculty for their research is an accomplishment that I’m very proud of.”
After retirement, Leary established an endowed scholarship at Mitchell Hamline to help students with financial need. She also has the school named in her estate plan.
“I couldn’t have earned a degree or obtained my career without going to William Mitchell. And Mitchell Hamline continues to do a wonderful job educating lawyers. I think it’s important for schools like Mitchell Hamline to exist and it’s worth paying back. As law school becomes more expensive, the profession must ensure the entry for all talented people, not just those who are talented and can afford it,” she said.
To date, the Margaret A. Leary Scholarship has benefited 17 students and will continue each year. One recent recipient, Sophie Hill, wrote in a letter to Leary that “going to law school has been the best decision I have ever made. I have found law school to be a challenging but fascinating, thought-provoking, and rewarding experience. I cannot fully express my gratitude for this scholarship.” Because her tuition was funded by Leary’s generosity, Hill was able to complete an externship with the Office of the Solicitor at the Department of the Interior and participate on the Mitchell Hamline Law Review, Vol. 51, as the associate editor-in-chief.
In addition to impacting the lives of students through her scholarship, Leary chose to give back to the law school through her time serving on William Mitchell’s board of trustees from 1993 to 2002. She has also served with many community organizations, including, among others, the League of Women Voters and Institute of Continuing Legal Education.
In addition, she has written publications and conducted research projects covering a wide variety of interests. Her most recent volunteer study with the University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library is centered around locating African American students who attended the University of Michigan from 1817 to 1980, with a focus on Michigan law school.