Our first female High Court chief justice

WHO IS SUSAN KIEFEL

* Susan Mary Kiefel, 62, will become the High Court's first female chief justice, replacing Robert French who is retiring.

* She qualified as a barrister after working with a firm of solicitors as a legal clerk and completing her education at night.

* She completed a Master of Laws at the University of Cambridge in 1984.

* She was the first woman in Queensland to be appointed Queen's Counsel, in 1987.

* Served as a judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland in 1993-94 before joining the Federal Court (1994-2007).

* Appointed to the High Court in 2007, becoming the third woman elevated to the bench and the 46th overall.

* Her appointment alongside incumbent Justice Susan Crennan marked the first time two women sat concurrently on the High Court.

* Appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia in 2011.