Judge McLean was born in San Jose, California.  Her dad was a military officer so she lived all over the world growing up.  Her family ended up in Chico during her junior year of high school when her father was stationed in Viet Nam.

She graduated from Pleasant Valley Senior High School in 1970.  While in high school at PV she joined several clubs and student government. 

Judge McLean was born in San Jose, California.  Her dad was a military officer so she lived all over the world growing up.  Her family ended up in Chico during her junior year of high school when her father was stationed in Viet Nam.  She graduated from Pleasant Valley Senior High School in 1970.  While in high school at PV she joined several clubs and student government.  She was on the Dress Code Committee which was instrumental in obtaining the right of women to wear pants to school.  She also was president of the American Field Service club and worked with the exchange students who attended PVHS. She was Winter Sports Queen and a Princess at the Silver Dollar Fair.

After PV she attended college graduating from Cornell University New York Hospital School of Nursing in New York with honors.  She was editor of the yearbook and involved in student government. She was a member of Sigma Theta Tau, the nursing honor society.  She then served in the Army Nurse Corps at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, DC working in the emergency department. She served to Captain.  After the Army she attended Georgetown University Law Center obtaining her juris doctor in 1979 and graduating cum laude.  She became a member of the bars of Washington DC and Maryland and worked for several law firms before opening her own practice. She also taught health care law at George Washington University Medical Center.

In 1994 she moved back to California, at first to the Bay Area and eventually back to Chico.  She had her own law practice specializing in family law.  She became a Certified Specialist in Family Law and also a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. 

In 2005 she was appointed to be a Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Butte by Arnold Schwarzenegger.  Her assignments include misdemeanors, felony, collaborative courts, civil, probate, appellate and family law.  She is currently serving as the Supervising Judge of the Family Law Department.

Community Service has been important to her.  She has belonged to Rotary, Soroptimist, the Butte County Bar, Friends of the Chico Library, Parent Education Network, Butte County Law Library Board of Trustees, Chico Museum, Bidwell Mansion Association, Chico Heritage and Enloe Hospital Foundation.  She currently volunteers for the Friends of the Chico Library.

She has three children and two grandchildren.  One son lives in the Toronto area, one daughter lives in Denver and the youngest lives in the Los Angeles area.  She had two rescue dogs and lives in Chico.