who was the first woman to ever serve as united states attorney general

by Santiago Mann 3 min read

Janet Wood Reno (July 21, 1938 – November 7, 2016) was an American lawyer who served as the 78th United States attorney general from 1993 to 2001, the second-longest serving in that position, after William Wirt. A member of the Democratic Party, Reno was the first woman to hold the post.

Who was the first female Attorney General to die?

In 2010, Harris was elected as the first African American and first woman to serve as California's Attorney General. While Attorney General, she married lawyer Doug Emhoff and became stepmother to his two children. She proudly became “Momala” as well as Attorney General. In 2016, she was elected as a Senator for California, becoming only the second African American …

Who was the first female lawyer in the US?

51 rows · The following is a list of female attorneys general of states in the United States.Since ...

Who is the first Asian American female Attorney General in America?

Loretta Lynch Biography. Loretta Lynch served as Attorney General of the United States from 2015-2017. She was the first Black woman ever to hold the position. Loretta Elizabeth Lynch was born in North Carolina; her father was a Baptist minister and her mother a school librarian. She made her way to Harvard, where she earned an undergraduate degree in 1981 and a law degree …

How many female attorneys general are there in the United States?

Feb 01, 2021 · Her tenure ended on January 20, 2017, when Donald Trump was sworn in as President of the United States. Historic Firsts: First African-American woman to serve as United States Attorney General; Kamala Harris (1964 – Present) “My mother had a saying: ‘Kamala, you may be the first to do many things, but make sure you’re not the last.'”

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Is Janet Reno alive?

November 7, 2016, Miami, FLJanet Reno / Died

Which president appointed the first female attorney general?

Janet Reno became the first female attorney general when she was nominated to that position by President Clinton. Reno served as attorney general throughout Clinton's eight years in office, from 1993 to 2001.

What is Loretta Lynch known for?

Loretta has been recognized as a “Distinguished Leader” by the New York Law Journal and has been named one of Benchmark Litigation's “Top 250 Women in Litigation.” She has been recognized by Chambers in the Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (New York) category.

What is the heritage of Janet Reno?

Her father, a Danish immigrant, was a police reporter for the Miami Herald, and her mother was an investigative reporter for the Miami News.

Has the US ever had a female Attorney General?

Janet Wood Reno (July 21, 1938 – November 7, 2016) was an American lawyer who served as the 78th United States attorney general under President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 2001, the second-longest serving in that position, after William Wirt. A member of the Democratic Party, Reno was the first woman to hold the post.

Who was Attorney General during Ruby Ridge?

Following the siege and shootings at Ruby Ridge, that left a federal officer and a suspect's wife and son dead, Attorney General Janet Reno ordered a Justice Department task force to investigate the tragic events of August 1992.

Who was Obama's first attorney general?

Holder, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama, was the first African American to hold the position of U.S. attorney general....Eric HolderIn office February 3, 2009 – April 27, 2015PresidentBarack ObamaDeputyDavid W. Ogden James M. Cole Sally YatesPreceded byMichael Mukasey31 more rows

Who is Eric Holder's wife?

Sharon MaloneEric H. Holder, Jr. / Wife (m. 1990)

Who was Janet Reno partner?

His wife, Jane Wood Reno, was the flamboyant one. While Henry was at work, Jane built a house for the family with her bare hands at the edge of the Everglades, on a homestead where she raised peacocks—the louder and more annoying to neighbors, the better.Nov 7, 2016

Why is Janet Reno famous?

Janet Reno broke new ground in 1993 as the first woman to serve as U.S. Attorney General, serving under President Bill Clinton.Jan 29, 2018

When was Janet born?

July 21, 1938Janet Reno / Date of birth

Who was the first woman to serve as Attorney General?

Janet Reno, First Woman to Serve as U.S. Attorney General, Dies at 78. Janet Reno in May 1993, a few months after President Bill Clinton nominated her to his cabinet. Credit... Janet Reno, who rose from a rustic life on the edge of the Everglades to become attorney general of the United States — the first woman to hold the job — ...

Who was the general counsel for the Florida House of Representatives?

Ms. Reno helped him win a State House seat in 1966, and the two opened a general-practice law firm together. Ms. Reno entered government service in 1971 as general counsel to the Judiciary Committee of the Florida House of Representatives, where she worked on a difficult overhaul of Florida’s courts.

Who was the attorney general who settled on Reno?

Mr. Clinton, committed to appointing a woman as attorney general, settled on Ms. Reno after his first two choices — the corporate lawyer Zoë Baird and the federal judge Kimba Wood — withdrew their names in the face of criticism after it was disclosed that they had employed undocumented immigrants as nannies.

Why did Reno leave the prosecutor's office?

Within a few years, she was Mr. Gerstein’s chief assistant. Ms. Reno left the prosecutor’s office in May 1976 to join Steel Hector & Davis, the firm that had rejected her out of law school. But her tenure there was short.

The Federal Response To Oregon Occupation May Have Roots In Ruby Ridge

Reno arrived at the Justice Department knowing no one, and was immediately plunged into the siege at the Branch Davidian compound outside Waco, Texas. Four federal agents had been killed and 16 wounded while serving a warrant to search for illegal guns.

Why We Won't See The Likes Of Eric Holder Again

"Waco didn't make her hesitant: It made her insistent about getting her own information," observes Walter Dellinger, who served in two top Justice Department jobs under Reno.

When Your Family Member Does The Unthinkable

It paid off. The Unabomber's brother recognized the style and ideas in the essay and tipped off the FBI, ending the bomber's long reign of terror. Theodore Kaczynski, aka the Unabomber, is now serving a life term in a maximum security federal prison.

Senate Confirms Loretta Lynch As Attorney General

That combination of toughness and self-deprecating humor, plus her determination to protect the Justice Department from improper influence, made her a hero to many who worked for her.

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Who appointed Reno as the first female attorney general?

Reno was thrust into the national spotlight in 1993 when President Bill Clinton appointed her to become the first female U.S. attorney general.

Where did Janet Reno go to law school?

After attending Cornell University for her undergraduate degree and Harvard Law School in 1960, Janet Reno worked as an attorney in Florida for several years. Her work in Florida as an attorney and as county prosecutor from 1978 to 1993 established Reno's stern and liberal reputation.

Who was the first black woman to be elected Attorney General?

Loretta Lynch served as Attorney General of the United States from 2015-2017. She was the first Black woman ever to hold the position. Loretta Elizabeth Lynch was born in North Carolina; her father was a Baptist minister and her mother a school librarian.

Who was the second woman to be the Attorney General?

Loretta Lynch was the second woman to hold the job of Attorney General; Janet Reno held the job from 1993-2001 under President Bill Clinton …. Loretta Lynch married Stephen Hargrove in 2007, according to the Associated Press. Janet Reno.

What did Obama say about Loretta Lynch?

In nominating her, President Obama said Loretta Lynch had a “fierce commitment to equal justice” and said “She’s not about splash, she is about substance.”.

Who was the first female attorney?

After graduating from Columbia, Motley became the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund’s (LDF) first female attorney. Motley went on to become Associate Counsel to the LDF, making her a lead attorney in many significant civil rights cases. In 1950, Motley wrote the original complaint in the case of Brown v.

Who was the first black woman to be admitted to the bar?

Charlotte Ray graduated from the Howard University School of Law on February 27, 1872, and was admitted to the District of Columbia Bar on March 2, 1872, making her the first black female attorney in the United States. She was also admitted as the first black female to practice in the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia on April 23, 1872.

Where was Barbara Jordan born?

Barbara Jordan was born in Houston, Texas on February 21, 1936. Due to segregation, Jordan could not attend The University of Texas at Austin, and instead chose Texas Southern University, a historically-black institution. After majoring in political science, Jordan attended Boston University School of law in 1956 and graduated in 1959.

Who was the first black woman to be a judge?

On July 22, 1939, Mayor of New York City, Fiorello La Guardia, appointed Bolin as a judge of the Domestic Relations Court, making Bolin the first black woman to serve as a judge in the United States. Bolin proceeded to be the only black female judge in the country for twenty years. Bolin remained a judge of the court for 40 years ...

Who is the first African American woman to be elected as a vice president?

In 2020, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris successfully won their election as President and Vice President of the United States, making Harris the first woman, first African American, and first South Asian American Vice President in U.S. history.

Who was the first African American judge?

In 1966, Motley broke another glass ceiling by becoming the first African-American federal judge after her nomination to a seat on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York by President Lyndon B. Johnson. Historic Firsts: First African-American woman appointed to the federal judiciary.

Who was the first black woman to speak at the Democratic National Convention?

In 1976, Jordan became the first black woman to deliver a keynote address at the Democratic National Convention. Jordan was later awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton in 1994. First Southern African-American woman elected to the United States House of Representatives.

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Overview

Firsts nationwide

• Ada Kepley (1881): First woman to graduate with a law degree (1870) and practice in a court of law in the U.S.
• Charlotte E. Ray (1872): First African American female to earn a law degree in the U.S.
• Marie Louise Bottineau Baldwin: First Native American (Chippewa) female to earn a law degree in the U.S. (1914)

Firsts in individual states

• List of first women lawyers and judges in Alabama
• List of first women lawyers and judges in Alaska
• List of first women lawyers and judges in Arizona
• List of first women lawyers and judges in Arkansas

Firsts in Washington, D.C. (Federal District)

• List of first women lawyers and judges in Washington D.C. (Federal District)

Firsts in the Territories of the U.S.

• List of first women lawyers and judges in the Territories of the U.S.

See also

• Timeline of women lawyers in the United States
• Women in law

Other topics of interest

• List of first minority male lawyers and judges in the United States
• List of African American jurists [United States]
• List of Asian American jurists [United States]
• List of first women lawyers and judges by nationality [International]