Aretha Miller Smith was born in Laurens County on July 22, 1914. After her graduation from Dublin High School in 1930, Aretha went to work in the law office of W.A. Dampier. In those days, it was not mandatory for candidates for the bar to attend law school or pass a written test. An applicant only needed to be presented for admission by practicing attorneys and pass an oral test given by the presiding judge of the Superior Court.
After three years of studying law, Aretha appeared before JudgeKent, who granted her permission to become a member of the bar. It was December 1933 when an 19-year-old Aretha Miller Smith became a member of the Dublin Bar Association. In the circuit and most likely around the entire State of Georgia, Aretha was the youngest woman ever admitted to practice law in our state.
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