Rosalyn Higgins, Baroness Higgins

Rosalyn Higgins, Baroness Higgins, DBE, QC (b. in London, 1937) is the President of the International Court of Justice. Higgins was the first female judge to be appointed to the ICJ, and was elected President in 2006.

Life
Born to a Jewish family in 1937 as Rosalyn Cohen, she married the politician Terence Higgins in 1961 (Sir Terence from 1993, Lord Higgins since 1997).

Education and career
She has been a member of the Court since July 12, 1995, and was re-elected as of February 6, 2000.
Higgins studied at Girton College, University of Cambridge receiving her B.A. in 1959 and LL.B in 1962. As well as her undergraduate degrees she also qualified with a M.A. She continued her studies at Yale University earning a J.S.D.. Her competence has been recognised by other academic institutions, having received over thirteen honorary doctorates, as well as the Yale Law School Medal of Merit and also the Manley O. Hudson Medal.
Following her education Higgins was a practising barrister, and became a Queen's Counsel in 1986, and is a bencher of the Inner Temple.
Her professional appointments include:
Specialist in International Law, Royal Institute of International Affairs, 1963- 1974
Visiting Fellow, London School of Economics, 1974-1978
Professor of International Law, University of Kent at Canterbury, 1978-1981
Professor of International Law, University of London (London School of Economics), 1981-.
She became a Dame Commander of the British Empire in 1995.
Lady Higgins is the author of several influential works on international law, including Problems and Process: International Law and How We Use It (1994).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosalyn_Higgins