Beverley McLachlin

Location: Alberta | Profession: Lawyers/Judges

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Beverely McLachlin in her 20s

Beverley McLachlin is a self-described “farm girl” from small town Alberta. The small community of Pincher Creek helped instil a good work ethic as well as a sense of tolerance, owing to the town’s mixture of different communities and social classes. A long-time lover of reading novels and writing, she toyed with pursuing journalism, before deciding to pursue the law. She was a judge on the BC Court of Appeals until ___ when she was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada. She is now the Honourable Madam Chief Justice.

Beverley McLachlin now

Profile

Articling:

In my last year at school, I had an interview with an Edmonton firm for an articling position. The interview went well and I knew that’s where I wanted to go, but I didn’t hear back from them. So I decided to phone them up. I called and they said, “Oh, of course you’re hired. We’ve all discussed it.” I said, “Well, you could have told me…” But I was glad to be employed.

My practical education really began after I started to article. My work involved doing a little bit of everything, which was great. I got to go to court. There was a lot of insurance work but that involved defending people on charges in court.

Though it may have been difficult for other women in the legal world at that time, I had great support in the firm I was at and they treated me very well. They did not in any way stint on the work they gave me. People were always willing to look at the quality of the work I did and not write me off because I was the wrong gender .I was lucky. Women were regarded as something of an oddity, so you had to be prepared to live with the occasional negative comment that would be considered unacceptable today. These days, there’s more acceptance of women in careers. I’m not sure it’s easy for everyone. I think there are still many challenges faced, but it’s not as unusual to be a working woman now as it was then.

The trick is simply to be as good as you can and enjoy it. Do your best. I think the practice of law is very different now. It’s become bigger and more commercialised. Back then, practicing law was a lot of fun in the sense that you were not as worried as you are today. Many of the young people I talk to today are stressed about the hours they’ve billed. That just wasn’t a part of my life. But the world changes.