Mrs Clare Foley (nee Pender) was the fourth woman to be admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland. Having commenced a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Queensland in 1931, Clare began her articles of clerkship with her brother Thomas Joseph in 1933, forcing her to reduce her studies to evening classes. Together with her two brothers, Clare worked to established a family legal practice through the Depression, and in May 1939 she was admitted as a Solicitor. Soon after admission, Clare became a partner with her brother in the firm of T.J. Pender & Pender until, in 1950, upon Thomas Joseph’s sudden death, Clare decided the practice should be sold. Encouraged by friends, however, Clare carried on the practice until it was acquired by Mr Eric Whitehouse (Mary Whitehouse’ s husband) in October of 1951.

In 1967, Clare resumed practice at the Toowong firm of Foley & Foley, where she was assisted by her husband and son, Thomas Joseph. Although Clare’s son Thomas took over the firm as partner during the mid 1980s, his tragic death in 1992 forced Clare to return to work to run, then dispose of the practice.

During her lifetime, Clare maintained a close association with Duchesne College at the University of Queensland, serving as a member of the council from the College’s beginning in 1939, until two years before her death in 1997.