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Truth be told : my journey through life and the law / by McLachlin, Beverley,1943-author.;
"Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, Beverley McLachlin, offers an intimate and revealing look at her life and shares her insights into the most pressing legal and social questions we face today. As a young girl, Beverley McLachlin's world was often full of wonder--at the expansive Prairie vistas around her, at the stories she discovered in the books at her local library, and at the diverse people who passed through her parents' door. While her family was poor, their lives were rich in the ways that mattered most. Even at a young age, she had an innate sense of justice, which was reinforced by the lessons her parents taught her: Everyone deserves dignity. All people are equal. Those who work hard reap the rewards. Willful, spirited, and unusually intelligent, she discovered in Pincher Creek an extraordinary tapestry of people and perspectives that informed her worldview going forward. Still, life in the rural Prairies was lonely, and gaining access to education--especially for girls--wasn't always easy. As a young woman, McLachlin moved to Edmonton to pursue a degree in philosophy. There, she discovered her passion lay not in the ivory towers of academia, but in the real world, solving problems directly related to the lives of the people around her. And in the law, she found the tools to do exactly that. She soon realized, though, that the world was not always willing to accept her. In her early years as an articling student and lawyer, she encountered sexism, exclusion, and old boys' clubs at every turn. And outside the courtroom, personal loss and tragedies struck close to home. Nonetheless, McLachlin was determined to prove her worth, and her love of the law and the pursuit of justice pulled her through the darkest moments. McLachlin's meteoric rise through the courts soon found her serving on the highest court in the country, becoming the first woman to be named Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada. She rapidly distinguished herself as a judge of renown, one who was never afraid to take on morally complex or charged debates. Over the next eighteen years, McLachlin presided over the most prominent cases in the country--involving Charter challenges, same-sex marriage, and euthanasia. One judgment at a time, she laid down a legal legacy that proved that fairness and justice were not luxuries of the powerful but rather obligations owed to each and every one of us. With warmth, honesty, and deep wisdom, McLachlin invites us into her legal and personal life--into the hopes and doubts, the triumphs and losses on and off the bench. Through it all, her constant faith in justice remained her true north. In an age of division and uncertainty, McLachlin's memoir is a reminder that justice and the rule of law remain our best hope for a progressive and bright future."-- Provided by publisher.
Subjects: Autobiographies.; Biographies.; McLachlin, Beverley, 1943-; Canada. Supreme Court.; Judges;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Denial : a novel / by McLachlin, Beverley,1943-author.;
"Jilly Truitt has made a name for herself as one of the top criminal defense lawyers in the city. Where once she had to take just about any case to keep her firm afloat, now she has her pick--and she picks winners. So when Joseph Quentin asks her to defend his wife, who has been charged with murdering her own mother in what the media are calling a mercy killing, every instinct tells Jilly to say no. Word on the street is that Vera Quentin is in denial, refusing to admit to the crime and take a lenient plea deal. Quentin is a lawyer's lawyer, known as the Fixer in legal circles, and if he can't help his wife, who can? Against her better judgment, Jilly meets with Vera and reluctantly agrees to take on her case. Call it intuition, call it sympathy, but something about Vera makes Jilly believe she's telling the truth. Now, she has to prove that in the courtroom against her former mentor turned opponent, prosecutor Cy Kenge--a man who has no qualms about bending the rules. As the trial approaches, Jilly scrambles to find a crack in the case and stumbles across a dark truth hanging over the Quentin family. But is it enough to prove Vera's innocence? Or is Jilly in denial herself?"--
Subjects: Thrillers (Fiction); Legal fiction (Literature); Attorney and client; Family secrets; Murder; Women lawyers;
Available copies: 0 / Total copies: 2
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Proof : a novel / by McLachlin, Beverley,1943-author.;
"Jilly Truitt has always put her job as a criminal defense lawyer first, but becoming a new mother has changed her priorities. For the first time in her career, she's taking some long-overdue time away from her firm and the day-to-day grind of cases, enjoying the quiet delights of motherhood. Then the daughter of celebrity popstar Trist Jones goes missing and his ex-wife, Katie, is charged with kidnapping. Everyone from the police to the media believe Katie is guilty--her reputation was ripped to shreds in the tabloids during their divorce and subsequent custody battle. Call it mother's intuition, but Jilly has her doubts. Katie's whole life was about being a mother, and she and Trist were very public about their problems conceiving, shining a spotlight on their use of a surrogate. After everything she went through to have a child, Katie claims that she would never do anything to hurt her daughter, and she begs Jilly to take her case. Jilly agrees, but Katie's prospects don't look good. Police have found a witness who says he saw Katie with Tess the afternoon she disappeared, and they are close to giving up the search. The best chance Jilly has of clearing Katie's name is to find the missing girl. But as the weeks go by, the police begin to suspect that Tess might be dead. With the threat of a murder charge hanging over Katie's head, Jilly must find the real kidnapper and save Tess before it's too late."--
Subjects: Thrillers (Fiction); Legal fiction (Literature); Novels.; Attorney and client; Criminal defense lawyers; Kidnapping; Missing children; Missing persons; Mothers; Women lawyers;
Available copies: 0 / Total copies: 1
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