In 1975 Valerie French became the first woman to sign the Western Australia Bar Roll and became the first woman to practise as a barrister in Western Australia. From that time, French's professional appointments and legal career have continued to serve as a guide for women entering into the legal profession in Western Australia. Beyond her impact on the legal profession as a 'first' at the Bar, her substantive legal practice has also influenced Australian law and legal policy, particularly in the field of criminal justice.

Read more about Valerie French in our sister publication The Encyclopedia of Women and Leadership in Twentieth-Century Australia.

Valerie French was interviewed by Kim Rubenstein for the Trailblazing Women and the Law Oral History Project. For details of the interview see the National Library of Australia CATALOGUE RECORD.

Sources used to compile this entry: 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; Valerie French interviewed by Kim Rubenstein in the Trailblazing Women and the Law pilot oral history project, 2010, 4852444; National Library of Australia, Oral History and Folklore Collection.