Loretta Lynch

Loretta Lynch is an American lawyer who served as the 83rd United States Attorney General under President Barack Obama, becoming the first African-American woman to hold the office. Her tenure, from 2015 to 2017, followed a distinguished career as a federal prosecutor, notably serving twice as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. Lynch's career has been marked by high-profile cases involving public corruption, civil rights, and international terrorism.

Early life and education

Born in Greensboro, North Carolina, she is the daughter of Lorenzo Lynch, a Baptist minister, and Lorine Lynch, a school librarian. Her family later moved to Durham, North Carolina, where she attended Durham Public Schools. Lynch earned her Bachelor of Arts in English and American Literature from Harvard College in 1981. She subsequently attended Harvard Law School, receiving her Juris Doctor in 1984, where she was a member of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau.

Legal career

After law school, she began her legal career as a litigation associate at the New York City firm Cahill Gordon & Reindel. In 1990, she entered public service as a federal prosecutor with the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York, located in Brooklyn. She worked under then-United States Attorney Andrew Maloney and later Zachary W. Carter, rising through the ranks to lead major divisions, including serving as Chief of the Long Island Office. Her early work involved prosecuting cases of violent crime and public corruption.

United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York

First appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1999, she led the office until 2001. She was reappointed to the same position by President Barack Obama in 2010. During her tenure, she oversaw several landmark prosecutions, including the conviction of New York State Assemblyman William Boyland Jr. on corruption charges and the high-profile case against Representative Michael Grimm. Her office also secured a guilty plea from the Swiss bank UBS for wire fraud and prosecuted numerous members of the MS-13 gang. Notably, she authorized the civil rights prosecution of New York City Police Department officers in the Abner Louima torture case.

Tenure as U.S. Attorney General

Nominated by President Obama in November 2014, her confirmation by the United States Senate was delayed for several months before she was sworn in on April 27, 2015. As head of the United States Department of Justice, she prioritized civil rights enforcement, overseeing investigations into police departments in Baltimore and Chicago following controversial deaths. Her tenure included the resolution of the Volkswagen emissions scandal, which resulted in a major settlement, and the prosecution of Olympic officials in the FIFA corruption case. She also oversaw the department's response to the Orlando nightclub shooting and advocated for criminal justice reform. A brief, controversial meeting on an airport tarmac with former President Bill Clinton during the FBI's investigation of Hillary Clinton's email server drew significant political scrutiny.

Post-government career

Since leaving the Department of Justice, she returned to private practice, rejoining the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison as a partner in its New York City and Washington, D.C. offices. She serves on the board of directors for Digimarc Corporation and the New York City nonprofit BRIC. Lynch has been a frequent speaker on issues of law, equity, and leadership, delivering addresses at institutions like the University of California, Berkeley School of Law and the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. She remains an influential voice in legal and corporate circles.

Category:1959 births Category:United States Attorneys General Category:Harvard University alumni Category:American women lawyers