Madam Justice McBride was appointed as the first female High Court Judge in Northern Ireland on 23 October 2015.
She was called to the Bar of Northern Ireland. She was appointed a Queen's Counsel in September 2011.
In 2006 she was appointed an Honorary Lecturer at Queen's University Belfast in recognition of her long service as a tutor and guest lecturer. She was elected Vice Chair of the Bar Council and served from 2012-2014.
She has made a significant contribution to legal education, by writing articles for leading legal journals and giving lectures at various local, UK and international legal conferences.
In September 2017 Madam Justice McBride was appointed Chancery Judge before being appointed Commercial Judge in October 2022.
On 6 September 2021 Madam Justice McBride was appointed Judge in Residence at Queen's University Belfast.