Rose Heilbron : the story of England's first woman Queen's Counsel and judge /
Hilary Heilbron.
- xii, 365 p., [8] unnumbered : ill. (chiefly col.) ; 24 cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Childhood -- Liverpool University and Gray's Inn -- Becoming a barrister -- Developing a practice at the bar -- The end of the war and marriage -- Becoming a mother and taking silk -- The Cameo murder trials -- Adjustment to motherhood and in demand as a speaker -- Getting into her stride in silk -- Welcome and unwelcome publicity and another famous murder trial -- A series of high-profile cases -- Rose cements her reputation -- A series of triumphs : on the brink of legal history once more -- An unwitting public persona -- First woman judge and a trip to Benin -- Premieres, parades, parklands and practice -- A flourishing practice and a royal invitation to lunch -- Some new experiences -- Temporary disappointments and long-term achievements -- Another landmark case -- The last years at the bar -- The start of judicial life -- The rape report and more honours -- Settling into judicial life -- The final years before retirement -- Retirement.
"Rose Heilbron QC (later Dame Rose Heilbron), was an English barrister, who became a world famous icon of the 1950s and 1960s. She was one of the two first women Queen's Counsel in 1949 and the first woman Judge in England in 1956 when she became Recorder of Burnley. This biography, written by her daughter Hilary, also a barrister and Queen's Counsel, charts her rise to prominence and success against the odds, excelling as an advocate and lawyer and later as only the second female High Court Judge in a career spanning nearly 50 years. She broke down many barriers with a string of firsts in the legal profession. She became a pioneer for women at the English Bar and for women generally, championing many women's causes in an era when it was not fashionable to do so. The biography highlights her role as an inspiring and successful defence advocate in many famous and fascinating cases as well as in cases of great legal importance. These include the Cameo murder case in 1950; the trial of Devlin and Burns for capital murder; the representation of the striking Liverpool Dockers in a case of national importance; the defence of the notorious London gangster, Jack Spot; and the representation, in an early anti-discrmination case, of the world renowned cricketer, Learie Constantine. Also chronicled are her years as a High Court Judge and the wide range of other legal and non-legal activities she undertook as a result of her fame including her appointment by the government in 1975 to chair an Advisory Committee on Rape. With the added insights and recollections of her daughter it portrays a multi-dimensional picture of the young and beautiful Rose Heilbron - barrister, judge, working wife and mother - who not only managed to combine these public and private roles in an era when to do so was extremely rare, but who did so with the combination of warmth, flair and determination which was to make her an internationally acclaimed role model for women. Many people over the years have wanted to write about her: this is the first authorised biography"--Provided by publisher.