Janet Reno
Early Life and Education
Janet Reno was born on July 21, 1938, in Miami, Florida. She was the eldest of four siblings in a family of both Swiss and Danish descent. Reno's mother, Jane Wood Reno, was an investigative reporter for the Miami News, and her father, Henry Olaf Reno, was a police reporter for the Miami Herald.
Reno attended public schools in Dade County, Florida, and showed an early interest in the law. After graduating from high school, she attended Cornell University, where she majored in chemistry. She was active in student politics, serving as president of the Women's Self-Government Association.
After graduating from Cornell in 1960, Reno enrolled at Harvard Law School, becoming one of only 16 women in a class of 500 students. She graduated in 1963 and returned to Miami to begin her legal career.
Legal Career
Reno began her legal career in private practice, focusing on civil litigation. In 1971, she joined the Dade County State Attorney's Office as a staff attorney. She quickly rose through the ranks, and in 1973, she was appointed State Attorney for Dade County by Governor Reubin Askew. She was the first woman to hold this position in Florida.
As State Attorney, Reno focused on cases involving child abuse, domestic violence, and juvenile crime. She was known for her tough stance on crime and her commitment to justice. She was re-elected to the position four times, serving until 1993.
U.S. Attorney General
In 1993, Reno was appointed U.S. Attorney General by President Bill Clinton, becoming the first woman to hold this position. She served for two terms, from 1993 to 2001, making her the longest-serving Attorney General in the 20th century.
During her tenure, Reno oversaw several high-profile cases, including the Waco Siege, the Oklahoma City bombing, and the capture and conviction of Unabomber Theodore Kaczynski. She also focused on issues such as civil rights, environmental protection, and health care fraud.
Later Life and Legacy
After leaving office in 2001, Reno returned to Florida, where she ran for governor in 2002. Although she won the Democratic primary, she was defeated in the general election by Republican incumbent Jeb Bush.
In her later years, Reno remained active in public life, advocating for criminal justice reform and serving on the board of directors for the Innocence Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to exonerating wrongly convicted individuals.
Reno died on November 7, 2016, from complications of Parkinson's disease, which she had been diagnosed with in 1995. Her legacy as a trailblazer for women in law and politics continues to be recognized today.