Female Law Power

I found this quite interesting after I found out  that Sonia Sotomayor was appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court.  Sotomayor was named the first Hispanic Justice and the third female Justice of the Supreme Court.  I thought it might be interesting to take a look at some of the integral females of the legal system in my country.

Everyone knows the great Sandra Day O’Connor, from the United States, who has recently retired, and was even on David Letterman, this week, June 24th, 09.  The lesser known (even to Canadians) Bertha Wilson,  served on the supreme court of Canada for nine years, retiring in 1991.  However, she was indeed the first female to be appointed.  Actually, when Canadians look back, the 80’s were probably some of the greatest modernizing times for our nation, especially in the legal areas and naming the first female justice to the supreme court is almost as important as declaring for the first time the fully Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Since this we’ve had, although for only a short time, a female Prime Minister, and have beefed up the estrogen level on the Supreme Court.  Bertha Wilson wasn’t just a one-time deal; now we boast a 4-female-justice supreme court, including Marie Deschamps, Rosalie Abella, Louise Charron, as well as the right honerable, Chief Justice Beverley Mclachlin.

And, in looking up these fine femmes of the law, I found out that the woman, Bertha Wilson, who broke the barrier and set the record for all of the other women that followed, had recently past.  She was said to be an inspiration to other female law students, lawyers, and justices.

Also, Wanted to give a shout out to my female lawschool peeps, Viv and Colleen.