Bold Decisions: Memoirs of a Judge, Lawyer, Teacher and Working Mom

At twenty-one, she married her soulmate. By thirty, she had four children. By forty, she was a practising lawyer. At fifty, she was appointed a Superior Court Judge, a position she occupied for over twenty-four years. BOLD DECISIONS is a story of how the author used those roles to champion the disabled and the underdog in a world much in need of a kindred spirit.

In clear, compelling language, Honourable Sandra Chapnik tells you how she overcame her fears and disappointments to live her purpose over a lifetime. In relating her intriguing experiences as a judge, lawyer, teacher and working mom, she answers the recurring questions: how did you balance your interests and priorities? Why did you choose law? What hurdles did you face?

Chapnik also speaks to the universal balancing act endured by working mothers who have growing children and grandchildren, and the need to practice unconditional love. It is a story of self- learning, where, in the process of helping others to believe in themselves, the author comes to believe in herself. Her insight and her passionate love story over 60 years resonates through the ages and is told with a warm and endearing sense of humor.

As a judge, Chapnik wrote over 600 reported decisions, prompting a Supreme Court of Canada judge to describe her judgments as "superb - beautifully written and filled with common sense and good judgment." Her description of some of her court cases will make you laugh and sometimes, cry.

In joining the author on her journey through the generations, the reader will obtain a personal, first-hand, behind- the -scenes view of the challenges facing judges, lawyers, teachers and working moms in this increasingly complex and chaotic world.