ROSANOVE, JOAN MAVIS (1896-1974), lawyer, was born on 11 May 1896 at Ballarat,
Victoria, second of eight children of Melbourne-born parents Mark Aaron Lazarus,
barrister and solicitor, and his wife Ruby, née Braham, both non-practising Jews.
Educated locally at the Loreto convent school and Clarendon Ladies' College, Joan
was articled to her father. In 1917 at the University of Melbourne she completed
the subjects in law required to qualify as an articled clerk. She appeared in
courts at Ballarat and in Melbourne before she was formally admitted to practice
as a barrister and solicitor on 2 June 1919; her registration had been delayed to
enable returned servicemen to complete their degrees and add 'gravitas' to the
ceremony.
View the full record at
Australian Dictionary of Biography Online
Joan Rosanove completed her legal studies at the University of Melbourne, and was admitted to practice as a barrister and solicitor in June 1919. In 1923 she became the first woman in Victoria to sign the Victorian Bar roll. The bulk of her work was in criminal and matrimonial cases. Rosanove was appointed Q.C. in 1965, and took silk in New South Wales two years later. She made a significant contribution to legal reform, particularly as it concerned the status of women.
View the full record at
Australian Women's Register