Ms. LaRocque received a Master of Arts in Public Administration and an Honour B.A. in Political Science from Carleton University.

Ms. LaRocque has broad and varied experience in government. She started her career in 1979 with the Public Service Commission of Canada, and worked as a procedural officer at the House of Commons from 1982 to 1984. She has occupied the position of chief of staff to the Government Leader in the Senate and the Minister of State for Federal-Provincial Relations, and has been the executive assistant to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.

From 1990 to March 2000 she was the Secretary to the Governor General serving three consecutive Governors General.

Ms. LaRocque became Associate Deputy Minister of the Department of Canadian Heritage in 2000 and was appointed Deputy Minister of Canadian Heritage in 2002. Canadian Heritage is the department of the Government of Canada with responsibility for policies and programs regarding the arts, cultural industries, media, communications networks, intellectual property, official languages, status of women, sports and heritage.

Ambassador Judith A. LaRocque took up her duties as Permanent Representative to the OECD on 18 January 2011.