Hilary Heilbron is the only child of the late Rose Heilbron and herself a barrister and King's Counsel. She practises commercial litigation and international arbitration in London and in other jurisdictions and sits as an international arbitrator.

...[A] trailblazer for women. Hilary Heilbron's biography of her mother,...tastes of postwar Britain like the rock sold on Rhyl beach by one of Rose's clients who was accused of breaching rationing orders. In an age of true austerity and deprivation, an attractive young woman achieves celebrity status through her advocacy skills and the acres of newsprint (invariably under a headline describing her as a Portia) that they provoked...Hilary Heilbron's entertaining book captures the legal and social atmosphere in which her mother climbed to the top of her profession and started the process (still continuing) of removing the barriers against women.

• Chapter 1 – Childhood Chapter 2 – Liverpool University and Gray's Inn Chapter 3 – Becoming a Barrister Chapter 4 – Developing a Practice at the Bar Chapter 5 – The End of the War and Marriage Chapter 6 – Becoming a Mother and Taking SilkChapter 7 – The Cameo Murder Trials Chapter 8 – Adjustment to Motherhood and in Demand as a Speaker Chapter 9 – Getting into her Stride in Silk Chapter 10 – Welcome and Unwelcome Publicity and Another Famous Murder Trial Chapter 11 – A Series of High-Profile Cases Chapter 12 – Rose Cements Her Reputation Chapter 13 – A Series of Triumphs—On the Brink of Legal History Once More Chapter 14 – An Unwitting Public Persona Chapter 15 – First Woman Recorder and a Trip to Benin Chapter 16 – Premieres, Parades, Parklands and Practice Chapter 17 – A Flourishing Practice and a Royal Invitation to Lunch Chapter 18 – Some New Experiences Chapter 19 – Temporary Disappointments and Long-Term Achievements Chapter 20 – Another Landmark Case Chapter 21 – The Last Years at the Bar Chapter 22 – The Start of Judicial Life Chapter 23 – The Rape Report and More Honours Chapter 24 – Settling into Judicial Life Chapter 25 – The Final Years before Retirement Chapter 26 – Retirement

Hilary Heilbron is the only child of the late Rose Heilbron and herself a barrister and King's Counsel. She practises commercial litigation and international arbitration in London and in other jurisdictions and sits as an international arbitrator.

...[A] trailblazer for women. Hilary Heilbron's biography of her mother,...tastes of postwar Britain like the rock sold on Rhyl beach by one of Rose's clients who was accused of breaching rationing orders. In an age of true austerity and deprivation, an attractive young woman achieves celebrity status through her advocacy skills and the acres of newsprint (invariably under a headline describing her as a Portia) that they provoked...Hilary Heilbron's entertaining book captures the legal and social atmosphere in which her mother climbed to the top of her profession and started the process (still continuing) of removing the barriers against women.

• Chapter 1 – Childhood Chapter 2 – Liverpool University and Gray's Inn Chapter 3 – Becoming a Barrister Chapter 4 – Developing a Practice at the Bar Chapter 5 – The End of the War and Marriage Chapter 6 – Becoming a Mother and Taking SilkChapter 7 – The Cameo Murder Trials Chapter 8 – Adjustment to Motherhood and in Demand as a Speaker Chapter 9 – Getting into her Stride in Silk Chapter 10 – Welcome and Unwelcome Publicity and Another Famous Murder Trial Chapter 11 – A Series of High-Profile Cases Chapter 12 – Rose Cements Her Reputation Chapter 13 – A Series of Triumphs—On the Brink of Legal History Once More Chapter 14 – An Unwitting Public Persona Chapter 15 – First Woman Recorder and a Trip to Benin Chapter 16 – Premieres, Parades, Parklands and Practice Chapter 17 – A Flourishing Practice and a Royal Invitation to Lunch Chapter 18 – Some New Experiences Chapter 19 – Temporary Disappointments and Long-Term Achievements Chapter 20 – Another Landmark Case Chapter 21 – The Last Years at the Bar Chapter 22 – The Start of Judicial Life Chapter 23 – The Rape Report and More Honours Chapter 24 – Settling into Judicial Life Chapter 25 – The Final Years before Retirement Chapter 26 – Retirement

Hilary Heilbron is the only child of the late Rose Heilbron and herself a barrister and King's Counsel. She practises commercial litigation and international arbitration in London and in other jurisdictions and sits as an international arbitrator.

...[A] trailblazer for women. Hilary Heilbron's biography of her mother,...tastes of postwar Britain like the rock sold on Rhyl beach by one of Rose's clients who was accused of breaching rationing orders. In an age of true austerity and deprivation, an attractive young woman achieves celebrity status through her advocacy skills and the acres of newsprint (invariably under a headline describing her as a Portia) that they provoked...Hilary Heilbron's entertaining book captures the legal and social atmosphere in which her mother climbed to the top of her profession and started the process (still continuing) of removing the barriers against women.

• Chapter 1 – Childhood Chapter 2 – Liverpool University and Gray's Inn Chapter 3 – Becoming a Barrister Chapter 4 – Developing a Practice at the Bar Chapter 5 – The End of the War and Marriage Chapter 6 – Becoming a Mother and Taking SilkChapter 7 – The Cameo Murder Trials Chapter 8 – Adjustment to Motherhood and in Demand as a Speaker Chapter 9 – Getting into her Stride in Silk Chapter 10 – Welcome and Unwelcome Publicity and Another Famous Murder Trial Chapter 11 – A Series of High-Profile Cases Chapter 12 – Rose Cements Her Reputation Chapter 13 – A Series of Triumphs—On the Brink of Legal History Once More Chapter 14 – An Unwitting Public Persona Chapter 15 – First Woman Recorder and a Trip to Benin Chapter 16 – Premieres, Parades, Parklands and Practice Chapter 17 – A Flourishing Practice and a Royal Invitation to Lunch Chapter 18 – Some New Experiences Chapter 19 – Temporary Disappointments and Long-Term Achievements Chapter 20 – Another Landmark Case Chapter 21 – The Last Years at the Bar Chapter 22 – The Start of Judicial Life Chapter 23 – The Rape Report and More Honours Chapter 24 – Settling into Judicial Life Chapter 25 – The Final Years before Retirement Chapter 26 – Retirement