Regina Quintanilha

Regina Quintanilha (1893-1967) was the first Portuguese woman to obtain a law degree at the University of Coimbra.

Among Quintanilha's fellow students was António de Oliveira Salazar, future head of state as leader of Portugal's Estado Novo dictatorship.

[3][4] In 1913 Quintanilha was granted authorization to practice Law, five years before a Decree was issued permitting women to do this.

In the same year she made her debut in court in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon as the country's first female lawyer.

In 1917, she served as president of the General Assembly of the feminist-inspired Portuguese Women's Crusade, an organization set up to provide support to conscripts during World War I.