WHO IS SUSAN KIEFEL
* Susan Mary Kiefel, 62, will become the High Court's first female chief justice, replacing Robert French who is retiring.
* She qualified as a barrister after working with a firm of solicitors as a legal clerk and completing her education at night.
* She completed a Master of Laws at the University of Cambridge in 1984.
* She was the first woman in Queensland to be appointed Queen's Counsel, in 1987.
* Served as a judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland in 1993-94 before joining the Federal Court (1994-2007).
* Appointed to the High Court in 2007, becoming the third woman elevated to the bench and the 46th overall.
* Her appointment alongside incumbent Justice Susan Crennan marked the first time two women sat concurrently on the High Court.
* Appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia in 2011.
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