Laura May Tilden Wilson (1872–1928) was Nevada's first female lawyer. She was born on April 24, 1872 in Sacramento, California to Marcellus Crane Tilden and Elizabeth J. Ralston. By 1880, Wilson’s family resided in Virginia City, Nevada, and her father was practicing as an attorney. Her maternal grandfather was James Harvey Ralston, a judge and state senator who enter politics in both Sacramento and Virginia City. While there is no record that Wilson ever attended law school, she did graduate from the Normal School in San Jose, California in 1889. As a result, Wilson most likely was an autodidact of law and received her legal tutelage from her father.