[1] Maddox was born in Baltimore, Maryland and though her exact date of birth is unknown it is most often recorded as January 6, 1860.

She attended Eastern Female High School and graduated in 1873 before studying voice at the Peabody Conservatory of Music.

[8] Maryland property laws forbid married women from participating in various forms of employment just a few years earlier.

Though this section of the law changed and Maddox was unmarried it was still not expected that a woman would choose to become a lawyer to the extent of taking the bar exam and practicing as a fully licensed attorney.

[9] Just before Maddox brought the issue before the legislature 37 states had already passed laws permitting women to take the bar exam in the late 19th century.

Maddox became the first woman in Maryland to be permitted to take the bar exam, become licensed and proceed to practice law.

[11] Maddox was known for attending almost every suffrage case hearing during General Assembly sessions starting in 1908 over a period of years.

This study of individual judges on the bench may have honed her legal skills leading to a more informed strategy when approaching the court herself.

[6] But the failure of the legislature to pass a suffrage bill did not prevent Maddox from continuing to fight for change in Maryland.