This article explores the life path and professional career of Olga-Elvira Hanytska (née Lustig), who should be recognized as the first Ukrainian woman lawyer. Drawing on historical sources, archival materials, and publications, the study highlights Hanytska’s role as a pioneering woman in the Ukrainian legal profession. Practicing in interwar Poland, notably in Lviv, where Hanytska pursued a legal career after graduating from Lviv University. Her work not only underscored professional achievement in the field of law but also affirmed Ukrainian national identity. Hanytska’s contribution to the establishment of an independent legal profession within the Ukrainian context is particularly significant, given that her career coincided with a period when women were only beginning to secure their place in the profession. The article further argues why Hanytska should be considered the first Ukrainian woman lawyer, particularly due to the interwar Polish environment, which allowed lawyers the freedom to defend clients and participate in public life, including involvement in Ukrainian political processes. Biographical information about Hanytska is provided, detailing her activities in Lviv, her post-war years spent in exile in Austria, and her enduring connection with the Ukrainian diaspora and national movement. This article sheds light on Hanytska’s role not only as the first Ukrainian woman lawyer but also as a custodian of national values and a representative of the Ukrainian professional intelligentsia in interwar Europe.

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Websites

28. Helena Wiewiórska – pierwsza kobieta adwokat w Polsce <https://pokojadw