L'Heureux-Dubé, Claire, 1927- : Born in Québec City on September 7, 1927, Claire L'Heureux-Dubé studied at the Monastère des Ursulines in Rimouski, the Collège Notre-Dame de Bellevue and Laval University in Québec City, where she earned her law degree in 1951. Called to the Quebec Bar in 1952, she became a member of the Bard, L'Heureux and Philippon law practice (1952-1969), which later became L'Heureux, Philippon, Garneau, Tourigny, St-Arnaud and Associates (1969-1973). She was appointed Q.C. in 1969. Between 1970 and 1973, she was lecturer in family law, Cours de formation professionnelle du Barreau du Québec and, between 1973 and 1976, she served as Commissioner on the Royal Commission of Inquiries into certain matters relating to the Department of Manpower and Immigration in the city of Montréal.
In February 1973, Claire L'Heureux-Dubé was appointed to serve as a judge on the Superior Court of Quebec; in October 1979, as a judge on the Court of Appeal of Quebec and on April 15, 1987 as a judge on the Supreme Court of Canada. She retired in September 2002. She was then appointed as Judge in Residence at Laval University in Québec. Between 2002 and 2008, she chaired several law societies and law organizations and she was invited to attend national and international conferences.
While working as a lawyer and judge, she served as a delegate to the General Council of the Quebec Bar (1968-1970), member of the Conseil consultatif de l'administration de la justice de la province de Québec (1967-1973), Vice-president of the Canadian Consumers Council (1970-1973) and Vice-president of the Vanier Institute of the Family (1972-1973). From 1972 to 1976, she served as President of the Family Law Committee and the Family Court Committee of the Quebec Civil Code Revision Office. During this time, she also served as a member of the Canadian Bar Association, the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice, the Council of Governors of the International Society of Family Law (1977), later becoming its Vice-president (1982-1988), and as a member of the National Council of the Canadian Human Rights Foundation (1980-1984).
In the 80s and 90s, she served on the International Commission of Jurists (Canadian Section), the Quebec Association of Comparative Law and the Editorial Board of the Canadian Bar Review. She wrote several articles and is a member of numerous national and international associations.
Throughout her career, she received several honorary titles from the universities of Dalhousie, Ottawa, Montréal, Rimouski, Laval, Gonzaga (USA), Concordia, Queen's, Windsor, Victoria University, the Québec Bar, the Canadian Bar, the Canadian Judicial Council and various national and international associations. She received the Touchstone Prize 2003 from the Canadian Bar Association, and the following titles: Compagnon de l'Ordre du Canada on January 26, 2004, Grand officier of the Ordre national du Québec on June 24, 2004 and grade de Commandeur of the Ordre de la Pléiade Ordre de la francophonie et du dialogue des cultures on July 5, 2008.
