Woo-hoo! Victoria Chiappetta!

Victoria Chiappetta is moving up the legal ladder.

It was announced Friday by the Department of Justice that Chiappetta has been appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice in Toronto.

The 43-year-old Sault Ste. Marie native will be resigning her post as Essar Steel Algoma’s vice-president, legal and general counsel, a post she has held with the steel maker since 2007, to take on her new post with the Court.

“I am more than thrilled with the opportunity to serve with the Court in this manner,” Chiappetta told SooToday.com. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to have worked for Essar and work on behalf of the thousands of community members employed by the company, but this is absolutely wonderful and everything I could have hoped for.”

“It’s an incredible honour, I’m extremely proud.  This is everything I’ve worked for and I couldn’t be more pleased,” Chiappetta said.

Chiappetta graduated from York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School in 1993. 

She started her career with a focus on commercial and civil matters and in 2001 began working with Mathews, Dinsdale and Clark, specializing in labour and employment law. 

She then worked with Ontario Lottery and Gaming as Director of Labour before joining the Essar team.

Chiappetta told us she didn’t know at this point what the exact area of her specialization will be with the Superior Court of Justice, but said: “I imagine they will have me do what is best for the Court.”

Chiappetta and her husband Mathew Lajoie have one son, Cash, who will soon turn two.

“There are some very important people I have to thank, beginning with my Mom and Dad, John and Lucille Chiappetta, and my brother Christopher who is a Sergeant with the Sault Police Service,” she said. “Both my brother and I pursued law as our chosen profession.”

“My husband Mathew…without his support and believing in this dream and supporting this dream, this journey wouldn’t have happened,” she continued. “For me it’s all about those people who helped me along the way. Dreams of this sort don’t come true without the help of many people.”

“My feeling right now is not only being pleased and excited, but also quite humbled by the opportunity and being grateful to those people who helped make this happen for me.”

Go here and click on “Judicial Appointments,” then “Ontario Judicial Appointments Announced” to see the official announcement.