Educated at Unley High School (SA) and the Universities of Adelaide and Melbourne, Julia Gillard worked as a solicitor with Slater and Gordon from 1987 to 1990, when she became a partner with the firm. In 1996, Gillard became Chief-of-Staff to John Brumby (then Leader of the Victorian Opposition) and retained her position until her election to federal parliament in 1998.

Gillard has served as Shadow Minister for Population and Immigration (November 2001 to July 2003); Shadow Minister for Reconciliation and Indigenous Affairs (February 2003 to July 2003); Shadow Minister for Health (July 2003 to December 2006); and Manager of Opposition Business (December 2003 to December 2006). She became Deputy Leader of the Opposition in December 2006. In 2010 she became Prime Minister of Australia.

Sources used to compile this entry: From Lady Denman to Katy Gallagher: A Century of Women's Contributions to Canberra, Australian Women's Archives Project, February 2013, http://www.womenaustralia.info/exhib/ldkg; Herd, Margaret (ed.), Who's Who in Australia 2002, 38 edn, Crown Content, Melbourne, 2002, 2020 pp; Kent, Jacqueline, The Making of Julia Gillard, Penguin, Australia, 2009; Kerwin, Hollie and Rubenstein, Kim, 'Law', in The Encyclopedia of Women and Leadership in Twentieth-Century Australia, Judith Smart and Shurlee Swain (eds), Australian Women's Archives Project, 2014, http://www.womenaustralia.info/leaders/biogs/WLE0624b.htm; Parliament House, House of Representatives, 'Ms Julia Gillard MP', http://www.aph.gov.au/house/members/member.asp?id=83L; Smart, Judith and Swain, Shurlee (eds), 'Gillard, Julia Eileen', The Encyclopedia of Women and Leadership in Twentieth-Century Australia, Australian Women's Archives Project, 2 May 2014, http://www.womenaustralia.info/leaders/biogs/WLE0362b.htm; Staff reporters, 'Gillard becomes Australia's first female PM after Rudd goes down without fight', The Age, John Fairfax, 2010, http://www.theage.com.au/national/gillard-becomes-australias-first-female-pm-after-rudd-goes-down-without-fight-20100624-z02g.html; http://www.alp.org.au/people/people.html?seat=labor accessed 21/12/2001; and Who's Who in Australia 2002 Contact: Shop 2, 36 Synnot Street, Werribee Vic. 3030 Ph: 03 97425800 Fx: 03 97416213 Postal: PO Locked Bag 14, Werribee Vic. 3030. E-mail: julia.gillard.mp@aph.gov.au.