Macken has blazed a trail for women in the legal profession

TEN years ago, in a conversation with students from New York University's School of Law, Fidelma Macken said she was "essentially an Irish woman" from a fairly typical and perhaps atypical family.

The retired Supreme Court judge, the first-ever woman appointed to the Court of Justice of the European Communities, grew up in a family where both parents were "feminists" and has been a trailblazer for women in the law.

"So I grew up – and this is probably one of the most significant influences of my entire life – I grew up not realising that there was any distinction to be drawn between boys and girls or men and women in terms of what you might want to do with your life," Judge Macken told the students.

TRAVELLING

After leaving school, Judge Macken spent three and a half years travelling the world, living in San Francisco and visiting South America as well as Mexico and Central America.

Her interest in law was sparked by working with a lawyer in Washington and, after another global spree – this time travelling to Australia and Asia – she returned to Trinity College in Dublin to study law.

She considered becoming an academic, but instead completed a Masters in international economic law, antitrust, intellectual property and company law at the London School of Economics.

The young barrister developed an expertise in intellectual property and patents law and made her name when she defended a number of children against whooping cough vaccine manufacturers for damages allegedly caused by the vaccine.

She also developed an expertise in banking and securities work as well as representing the State in constitutional cases.

Judge Macken, appointed as a judge of the High Court in 1998, credited "serendipity" for her subsequent move to the ECJ in July 2004, an elevation she described as a "great honour". She returned from Luxembourg in 2004 and was reappointed as a High Court judge, joining the Supreme Court in 2005 where she served until 2012.