Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin talks to Catherine Clark on this special edition of Beyond Politics.
The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Beverley McLachlin grew up on a ranch about 25 miles from Pincher Creek, Alberta. Her father was a bright, curious man and encouraged conversation from all the children at the dinner table. Her mother gave her the support she needed to further her studies. McLachlin studied philosophy at the University of Alberta, a discipline that taught her to analyze and think on her own. A letter she wrote to the Dean of Law at the University of Alberta opened the door to law school and she excelled at it. After three years at a law firm in Edmonton, McLachlin moved to Vancouver and by the time she was 37, had made such an impact in the legal community that she was offered a position on the bench.In 1985 McLachlin was appointed to the BC Court of Appeal and in 1988 was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada. In 2000 she became the first woman appointed to Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada.
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