In 1882, the Lytle family moved to Topeka, Kansas, most likely as a result of the mass migration of African-Americans from the South to the American West due to the Exoduster movement.

A contemporary account states that John Lytle, "an ardent worker in politics," while not asking for any favors for himself, "began to direct his influence toward obtaining something good for her."

As she said later, "I read the newspaper exchanges a great deal and became impressed with the knowledge of the fact that my own people especially were the victims of legal ignorance.

Lutie Lytle was able to secure a required certification of "good moral character" and her name was "enrolled on the minutes of... the Criminal Court [of Nashville].".

[8] Although contemporary reports describe Lutie Lytle as being the first black woman lawyer in the United States, it appears that she was probably the third, being preceded by Charlotte E. Ray and Mary Ann Shadd Cary.

However, at the time of Lytle's admission to the Tennessee and Kansas state bars, Ray had left the practice of law and Shadd Cary had died.

[13] Since Lytle entered the educational field rather than practice law while in Tennessee, Marion Griffin was credited as the state's first female lawyer in 1907.

[16] The next year, on January 2, 1901, in Pittsburgh, she married Alfred C. Cowan, an African-American lawyer with offices at 220 Broadway in New York City.

She also entertained many distinguished members of the African American professional, religious and intellectual communities, and their attendance was duly recorded in the black press.

After the editor attempted to defend himself and his writings, "... Mrs. Cowan expressed a desire that he remain until he had heard a few words on the subject by some of the women present.

[23] On July 10, 1916, Lutie Lytle-Cowan married the Reverend Stephen Alexander McNeill, a minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church.