Tate was born in Dunedin, New Zealand, and studied philosophy at the University of Otago, where she graduated with first-class honours.
Before being called to the Bar in 1991, Tate worked as an associate to High Court Justice Sir Daryl Dawson.
She then became one of Australia's most successful barristers in public law, appearing in a number of high-profile cases.
She was the first woman to be appointed as Solicitor-General and the first to have been chosen after public advertisement of the position, as opposed to private selection.
[2] In 2021 Tate retired from the Court of Appeal and, in May 2021 became adjunct professor of law at Monash University.