Helen Lehman Buttenwieser (October 8, 1905 – November 22, 1989) was a 20th-century American lawyer, philanthropist, and later-life legal counselor of Alger Hiss.
During the period 1927–1933, she attended the New York School of Social Work and took courses at Columbia University.
[1][2] In 1936, she became the first woman to work at the law firm of Cravath, Swaine & Moore but left after a year because of the impending birth of one of her children.
In 1947, she co-founded Beer, Richards, Lane, Haller & Buttenwieser, 1947–1959[4][5] Harold Rosenwald (one of the first lawyers to join the Alger Hiss defense team) was a member of the firm.
[2][7] Her legal work focused on aiding women and children (especially adoption, foster care, and child welfare) and preserving civil liberties.
[1][2] The Helen Lehman Buttenwieser Scholarship and Fellowship at Columbia University is named in her honor.