She soon earned a reputation as a brilliant legal mind who could tackle the trickiest
situations. Within a few years, she was taking on major cases at a top law firm in
Vancouver and teaching law at university.
McLachlin was a natural choice to become a judge - fair-minded and compassionate, but
also tough and smart. It did not take long for her to be promoted to higher courts. She
became the first woman to be chief justice of the Supreme Court of B.C., and then, in
1989, she was asked to serve in the highest court of the land, the Supreme Court of
Canada.
As a judge, Beverley McLachlin has made major decisions that affect her whole nation -
helping to draw the line between the rights of individuals and the power of government.
Legal experts say she brings a unique and powerful point of view, coming up with
solutions others might never have thought of.
But all of her decisions, and all of her work for groups dedicated to education and justice,
are based on her core belief that all people deserve equal freedom, justice, and protection.
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