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Spider Woman

A Life – by the former President of the Supreme Court
By Lady Hale
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Spider Woman by Lady Hale is an insightful memoir from the first female President of the UK Supreme Court. It chronicles her groundbreaking legal career, her advocacy for gender equality, and the challenges she faced in a male-dominated profession, offering an inspiring look into her life and work.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're interested in an inspiring memoir of a woman breaking barriers in the legal profession. It provides insights into the journey and experiences of becoming the first female President of the UK Supreme Court, highlighting themes of equality and perseverance.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Spider Woman describes Lady Hale's unlikely journey from a little village in North Yorkshire to becoming the most senior judge in the United Kingdom; it is the story of a pioneer, a reformer, and a living legend.

Lady Hale is an inspirational figure admired for her historic achievements and for the causes she has championed. Spider Woman is her story.

As 'a little girl from a little school in a little village in North Yorkshire', she only went into the law because her headteacher told her she wasn't clever enough to study history. She became the most senior judge in the country, but it was an unconventional path to the top.

How does a self-professed 'girly swot' get ahead in a profession dominated by men? Was it a surprise that the perspectives of women and other disadvantaged groups had been overlooked, or that children's interests were marginalised? A lifelong smasher of glass ceilings, who took as her motto 'women are equal to everything', her landmark rulings in areas including domestic violence, divorce, mental health, and equality were her attempt to correct that.

As President of the Supreme Court, Lady Hale won global attention in finding the 2019 prorogation of Parliament to be unlawful. Yet that dramatic moment was merely the pinnacle of a career throughout which she was hailed as a pioneering reformer.

Wise, warm, and inspiring, Spider Woman shows how the law shapes our world and supports us in crisis. It is the story of how Lady Hale found that she could overcome the odds, which shows that anyone from similar beginnings will find that they can cope too.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Summarising reviews of Spider Woman by Lady Hale, it is described as wise, accessible, and essential for those interested in justice, freedom, and equality. The memoir is praised for being restrained, warm, and dryly funny, serving as an inspiration, particularly for women to aim high. Reviewers highlight Hale as an inspirational figure and a feminist icon whose personal and career story is both fascinating and significant for those in or interested in the law.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781529114041

Publisher: Vintage Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 07 July 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Vintage

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 18.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 226g

Pages: 288

Collections

Best Sellers at Book Hero Biography & Memoir Education & Reference Gifts $20-$50 In Stock Books Lady Hale Non-Fiction Penguin Books Political Biographies Politics & Current Affairs

About the Author

Brenda Hale, Rt Hon Baroness Hale of Richmond DBE, was born in Yorkshire and studied Law at Girton College, Cambridge. She was called to the Bar in 1969 and spent almost twenty years in academia alongside working as a part-time barrister. In 1984, Lady Hale became the first woman and the youngest person to be appointed to the Law Commission. During her nine years there, she would oversee critical reforms in family law. She was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1989. Lady Hale became a judge in the Family Division of the High Court of Justice in 1994 and in 2004 was made the United Kingdom's first woman Lord of Appeal in Ordinary. She was appointed Deputy President of the Supreme Court in 2013, and ultimately served as President from 2017 to 2020.

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