As a senior judge Lady Hale became a hero to many of us when she became famous after her appearance representing the Supreme Court and their ruling that the prorogation of Parliament in 2019 was unlawful.
Spider Woman was an interesting and insightful read and Hale is definitely an inspiring figure. I enjoyed reading about her career development and her experience of working within the legal profession. There are few personal details so I would particularly recommend this to readers who have an interest in the legal profession.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

A thoroughly inspiring memoir that charts an impressive career. I came away having discovered a lot more of Lady Hale's personality than I expected to, assuming she'd be more reticent about her private life. She comes across as understandably thoughtful and considered but also witty. A great choice for anyone wanting to learn more about the law and our justice system, and the different complexion a certain blend of justices can offer on decision-making.

Spider Woman by Lady Hale is the memoir of the former President of the Supreme Court and one of the most senior judges in England. The title of the book comes from the £12 brooch she wore when reading out the Supreme Court’s ruling that the prorogation of Parliament in September 2019 was unlawful, coming to wider public attention only at the very end of a long and distinguished career. Following her childhood in North Yorkshire, Hale graduated from Girton College, Cambridge in 1966, and did a stint at the Bar followed by two decades in academia at Manchester. She was appointed to the Law Commission in 1984, became a judge in the family division of the high court in 1994, appointed to the court of appeal in 1999, became a law lord in 2004, then the deputy president of the supreme court in 2013 and finally its president in 2017. This is a memoir very much about Hale’s remarkable trailblazing career path. It is light on details about her personal life – her divorce from her first husband is dealt with in a single sentence – but it is clear from the way she outlines the fascinating cases she has been involved with that she has a brilliant legal brain and the clarity of her prose prevents those passages from becoming too dry. I expect ‘Spider Woman’ will be appreciated the most by prospective law students, but there is inspiration for everyone here too.

An interesting and enjoyable read into the author's life and the law itself. A little bit dry at times but still worth reading.

Interesting – up to a point. It’s an honest and candid memoir, and a fascinating glimpse into our law and its institutions. It’s an inspiring account of how one remarkable and determined woman made it to the top of her profession at a time when the odds were stacked against her. However, as a memoir with a focus on the law, it made for a sometimes dry and academic read. Of course, there’s absolutely no necessity for someone to write about their private life if they don’t choose to, but the result is that Lady Hale remains distant as a person, and although she does mention her family life on occasion, she comes across as curiously unemotional. Thus although I remain admiring, I didn’t feel I could relate to her in any meaningful way. Nevertheless, it’s a worthwhile read and I learnt much about our legal system from it.

As readers of my reviews will know, educated in law but non-practising, this book was a must-read for many reasons, if nothing else, because many lecturers of mine took place in the Lady Hale building at The University of Salford.

Unfortunately, I did feel that that it did take a bit of time to get going. In-depth history was within the first few chapters. However, I felt the backstories of the accounts of schools and pubs were unnecessary and not my reason for choosing the book.

Once you made it through those, it was a real page-turner, not just reflecting a fascinating account into the highest legal systems in the country, but how she reached her position.

A highly recommended read for those who are interested in law, skip past the first few chapters if you aren't a history buff.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Random House UK for an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Inspiring, well written, indeed, carefully written account of Lady Hale's rise from humble beginnings to her position as the first woman on the Supreme Court.

How hard she worked to receive her just reward and this book provides a fascinating account of the hurdles she had to overcome in order to reach her august position.

She gives her view on the major issues of the day such as Brexit and the book is never less than fascinating.

Beautiful. Poignant. Phenomenal.
This was a beautiful read and I learnt so much. I cried and I smiled and there was nothing more that I wanted from this book. Lady Hale truly is a gem.

This is not a pacey read but is so informative and engaging. I loved every second. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lady Hale - Brenda - came from a very ordinary background. As she says she was "a little girl from a little school in a little village in North Yorkshire', she only went into the law because her headteacher told her she wasn't clever enough to study history". Given that she ended up as the most senior judge in the country and was a woman in amongst an otherwise largely elite group of men, her life has been a real journey. This book tells of her childhood, her education and her development as an academic and a judge.

The start of this book covers her early childhood and education. I did find it interesting from a sociological perspective however it isn't really a "pacey" read. The changes is society over her lifetime were one of the things that I actually found very interesting. Initially her life is very ordinary and at best might be described as middle class. By the end of her book she is in antiques robes giving judgements on important cases including aspects the government's actions over BREXIT in the highest court in the land. The breadth of insight into society will certainly interest some.

The remainder of the book takes us through the various jobs and roles that Lady Hale has had during her career. Initially her involvement with the law was solely in academia. However - and sometimes to her surprise - she was gradually called to more and more challenging jobs directly and indirectly dealing with the laws of this country. Initially she spent time with the Law Commission reviewing and updating laws. After that she was a judge and increasingly senior ending with her time as President of the Supreme Court.

She is quite clear that the law should be paramount however, within that, she manages to look at laws through her own perspective. The fact that she is a rare female in this respect gives her views a different angle to others involved in the law. One thing that is quite clear almost from the start of her story is that she is a feminist. Maybe not in a radical sense but it is a fundamental part of her character.

In all of this Lady Hale's sheer humanity does come through in addition to her feminist position. She is a remarkable woman who has achieved a great deal even if she has been left frustrated at times (largely by male colleagues!). Equality broadly is a cornerstone of her belief as I read it. She bristles when any arguments are made that ignore this. Given how high she has risen while holding tightly to her principles it is clear that many people who may not agree with her still respect her. She certainly finds some of the arcane processes and traditions not entirely to her taste. However she does seem to like some of the "gowns" that are part of the traditions!

Personally I found Lady Hale and her life very interesting indeed. Overall the book acts as a very interesting insight into both legal and social changes over more than half a century. My feeling is that people with an interest in society generally and the law in particular will be the ones who find this book most appealing. Others should find it worthwhile however the focus on the law and particular cases might make it less accessible to some. 3.5/5

Lady Hale’s Spider Woman is a must read for so many reasons.

A trailblazer, a staunch feminist within a man’s world of traditions and views, a wife and mother, a woman suffering from imposter syndrome. Lady Hale takes us from her early/school years in a North Yorkshire Village to the presidency of the Supreme Court. Along the way she is one of a small number of women at Cambridge, an academic in Manchester, the first female law commissioner and thereafter (along with Lady Butler Sloss) making waves and paving the way for women in the highest judicial roles in the country.

Beautifully written and truly inspiring, this is an incredible read. Lady Hale hopes that during her career she has made a difference … I suspect she couldn’t have had a more positive impact.

Thanks to Vintage, Penguin Random House and Netgalley for an ARC.

It all seems like a long time ago now.
But in 2019, the first ever female member of the UK Supreme Court, 74 year old Lady Hale delivered her verdict on Boris Johnson's Brexit deal. Much media attention focused on the distinctive spider broach she wore on that day.
But, in truth, the achievements of Lady Hale, 'the Beyoncé of the legal system' and the youngest and first woman commissioner to be appointed to the Law Society have been many.
Her life is brought vividly to life in this readable and warm-hearted autobiography.