Yetta Frazer (1913 – 1995) was the first woman to establish a practice at the Leicester Bar. She was a member of these Chambers throughout her career – almost 50 years from June 1945, retiring shortly before she died. A feisty and forthright advocate with a strong and enduring practice who was an inspiration to the generation of women who followed her, we were delighted when Leicester Museums and Galleries endorsed our application for an iconic Blue Plaque in her memory.
As the eighth child of Solomon Leviten (1870 – 1923) and his wife Elizabeth Perlston (1877 – 1940), both Jewish immigrants from Russia who ran a drapers shop in Leeds, Yetta’s provenance was far from typical for the legal profession of the 1940s. It is testimony to her character and fortitude that she overcame both her background as well as the ubiquitous difficulties experienced by female entrants to the professions at that time. She was a genuine pioneer, role model and mother.
2022 is Chambers centenary, and as the year progresses not only do we want to mark that occasion but also to celebrate Chambers’ history and that of the Greyfriars Legal Quarter as it has existed for the most part of the last 200 years. Securing this Blue Plaque is a great start. It’s in the foundry now and we will be displaying it on the Friar Lane elevation of the building in time for International Women’s Day, 8 March 2022, announcing a formal unveiling later.