Janet Reno | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, c. 1990s | |
| 78th United States Attorney General | |
| In office March 12, 1993 – January 20, 2001 | |
| President | Bill Clinton |
| Deputy | |
| Preceded by | William Barr |
| Succeeded by | John Ashcroft |
| State Attorney for Miami-Dade County, Florida | |
| In office 1978–1993 | |
| Preceded by | Richard Gerstein |
| Succeeded by | Katherine Fernandez Rundle |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Janet Wood Reno July 21, 1938 Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | November 7, 2016 (aged 78) Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | |
| Signature |  |
Janet Wood Reno (July 21, 1938 – November 7, 2016) was an American lawyer and public official who served as the first female and 78th United States Attorney General. Reno, a member of the Democratic Party, held the position from 1993 to 2001, making her the second-longest serving attorney general, behind only William Wirt.
Reno was born and raised in Miami, Florida. After leaving to attend Cornell University and Harvard Law School, she returned to Miami where she started her career at private law firms. Her first foray into government was as a staff member for the Judiciary Committee of the Florida House of Representatives. She then worked for the Dade County State Attorney's Office before returning to private practice. She was elected to the Office of State Attorney five times and was the first woman to serve as a state attorney in Florida. President Bill Clinton appointed her attorney general in 1993, a position she held until Clinton left office in 2001.