Quick Facts
Biography
Irma Vidal Santaella is New York's first Puerto Rican female lawyer. She was also New York's first Puerto Rican female Supreme Court Justice.
Santaella was born on October 4, 1924 in New York City, though she was raised by her mother and relatives in Puerto Rico. She graduated from Modern Business College in Ponce, Puerto Rico in 1942, and studied pre-med thereafter at Interamerican University of Puerto Rico.
Upon returning to New York and working as a licensed accountant, Santaella earn a bachelor's degree from Hunter College in 1957 before completing her legal education at Brooklyn Law School in 1961. In the same year, Santaella became the first Puerto Rican female admitted to practice law in New York. It was also during the 1960s that Santaella became a strong advocate of Puerto Rican rights. In 1962, she founded the Legion of Voters, Inc. and served as its president until 1968. During her time as president, Santaella helped Senator Jacob Javits and Robert F. Kennedy draft an amendment to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to grant non-English speaking citizens the opportunity to vote. Santaella also ran for a Congressional seat twice.
In 1983, Santaella became the first Puerto Rican female to serve as a Justice of the New York Supreme Court.