Janet Reno

Janet Reno, former United States attorney general, holds the honor of being the first woman to ever serve as attorney general. Appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1993, she served for the duration of Clinton’s presidency. Drawing from her extensive legal background, Reno followed an agenda that included reform for the Department of Justice and early intervention for high-risk youth.

Janet Reno was born July 21, 1938, in Miami, Florida, to Denmark immigrant parents. The eldest of four children, Reno attended public high school, followed by Cornell University. Reno completed her education at Harvard Law School in 1963. Her political career began in earnest as a result of her difficulty finding a job as an attorney.

In 1971, Reno was appointed to the position of staff director of the Judiciary Committee of the Florida House of Representatives. She is credited with helping Florida revise its court system during her service. She subsequently accepted a position with the Miami-Dade County State’s Attorney’s Office in 1973. Reno left the State Attorney’s Office after three years to work in a private law firm, but returned again to Dade County in 1978 accepting the position of state attorney.

Janet Reno was President Clinton’s third nomination for the office of attorney general in 1993, after his nominations for Zoe Baird and Kimba Woods both failed. Reno served the office for both of Clinton’s terms, making her the second longest serving U.S. attorney general. Though much of her term was laden with critical strikes from the opposing Republican party, Reno garnered respect and recognition from many groups including the Women's International Center, who presented Reno with the Living Legacy Award in 1997.

Reno went public with her struggle with Parkinson’s disease in 1995. Reno is also in company with other women in public life, including Ellen DeGeneres and Rosie O Donnell, who have shrugged off implications of their sexual orientation. Like numerous other political personalities, Reno was parodied on several occasions including the typical Saturday Night Live jabs, where she was portrayed by Will Ferrell. After leaving the office of U.S. attorney general, Reno ran unsuccessfully in the Democratic primaries for office of governor for the state of Florida in 2002.

YUDDY