on the ground that females are not eligible under the
laws of that State, such a decision violates no provision of
the Federal Constitution.

2. The second section of the fourth article is inapplicable,
because plaintiff is a citizen of the State of whose action
she complains, and that section only guarantees privileges
and immunities to citizens of other States, in that State.

3. Nor is the right to practice law in the State courts a
privilege or immunity of a citizen of the United States,
within the meaning of the first section of the XIV. Article
of Amendment of the Constitution of the United States.

4. The power of a State to prescribe the qualifications for
admission to the bar of its own courts is unaffected by the
XIV. Amendment, and this court can not inquire into the
reasonableness or propriety of the rules it may prescribe.

Mr. Justice MILLER delivered the opinion of the Court.

The plaintiff in error, residing in the State of Illinois, made
application to the judges of the Supreme Court of that State for
a license to practice law. She accompanied her petition with the
usual certificate from an inferior court of her good character,
and that on due examination she had been found to possess the
requisite qualifications. Pending this application she also filed
an affidavit, to the effect "that she was born in the State of
Vermont; that she was (had been) a citizen of that State; that
she is now a citizen of the United States, and has been for many
years past a resident of the city of Chicago, in the State of
Illinois." And with this affidavit she also filed a paper
claiming that, under the foregoing facts, she was entitled to the
license prayed for by virtue of the second section of the fourth
article of the Constitution of the United States, and of the XIV.
Article of Amendment of that instrument.

The statute of Illinois on this subject enacts that no person
shall be permitted to practice as an attorney or
counselor-at-law, or to commence, conduct, or defend any action,
suit, or plaint, in which he is not a party concerned, in any
court of record within this State, either by using or subscribing
his own name or the name of any other person, without having