Known for movies
Short Info
Died | November 7, 2016, Miami, Florida, United States |
Fact | Aunt of model Hunter Reno. |
Janet Reno (July 21, 1938 – November 7, 2016) was an American lawyer who served as the Attorney General of the United States from 1993 until 2001. She was nominated by President Bill Clinton on February 11, 1993, and confirmed on March 11. She was the first woman to serve as Attorney General and the second-longest serving Attorney General in U.S. history, after William Wirt.
Early life and education
Janet Reno was born in Miami, Florida, to parents who had migrated from the Bahamas. Her father, Henry Olaf Reno, was a newspaper reporter and editor who later became city editor of The Miami Herald. Her mother, Jane Wood Reno, was a schoolteacher. Janet Reno had three sisters: Margaret, Roberta, and Magda.
Reno attended public schools in Miami-Dade County, Florida, graduating from Coral Gables Senior High School in 1955. She then attended Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where she majored in chemistry and biology. After graduating from Cornell in 1959, Reno attended Harvard Law School, where she earned her Juris Doctor degree in 1963.
Career
After graduating from Harvard Law School, Reno began her career as a staff attorney for the Judiciary Committee of the Florida House of Representatives. In 1966, she joined the Miami law firm of Lewis & Reed as an associate. In 1971, she was appointed State Attorney for Dade County by then-Governor Reubin Askew. She held that position until 1973, when she resigned to run for a seat in the Florida Senate.
In 1974, Reno was elected to the Florida Senate and served one term until 1976. During her time in the Senate, she chaired the Judiciary Committee and sponsored a number of bills related to criminal justice reform.
In 1978, Reno returned to private practice, joining the law firm of Greenberg Traurig as a shareholder. She remained with Greenberg Traurig until 1982, when she was again appointed State Attorney for Dade County by Governor Bob Graham. She held that position until 1986, when she resigned to run for Governor of Florida.
In 1986, Reno ran for Governor of Florida but was defeated in the Democratic primary by then-U.S. Senator Lawton Chiles. After her defeat, she returned to private practice, joining the law firm of Hinshaw & Culbertson as a partner.
In 1992, Reno considered running for Governor of Florida again but decided instead to run for Attorney General of Florida. She won the Democratic primary and went on to win the general election in November 1992.
As Attorney General of Florida, Reno oversaw a number of high-profile cases, including the prosecution of serial killer Ted Bundy and the investigation into the 1989 murder of five children in Tallahassee. She also worked on a number of initiatives related to children’s issues, including establishing a statewide task force on missing and exploited children.
In 1993, President Bill Clinton nominated Reno to be Attorney General of the United States. She was confirmed by the Senate on March 11 and sworn in on March 12. As Attorney General, Reno oversaw a number of high-profile cases and investigations, including the Oklahoma City bombing and the Waco siege. She also worked on initiatives related to crime prevention and juvenile justice.
Reno served as Attorney General until 2001, when she resigned after eight years in office. After leaving office, she returned to private practice and taught at Georgetown University Law Center and Florida International University College of Law.
In 2016, Reno announced that she had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. She died on November 7, 2016, at the age of 78.
Achievements
During her career, Janet Reno achieved a number of firsts: she was the first woman to serve as Attorney General of the United States; the first woman to be elected State Attorney for Dade County; and the first woman to be elected to the Florida Senate.
Reno was also a strong advocate for children’s issues. As Attorney General of Florida, she established a statewide task force on missing and exploited children. As Attorney General of the United States, she worked on initiatives related to crime prevention and juvenile justice.
Physical Characteristics
Janet Reno was 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighed 160 pounds. She had brown hair and blue eyes.
General Info
Full Name | Janet Reno |
Died | November 7, 2016, Miami, Florida, United States |
Height | 1.87 m |
Profession | Lawyer, Politician, Official |
Education | Harvard Law School, Cornell University, Coral Gables Senior High School, Harvard University |
Nationality | American |
Family
Parents | Jane Wood, Henry Reno |
Siblings | Robert Reno, Maggy Reno, Mark Reno |
Accomplishments
Awards | Glamour Woman of the Year Award |
Social profile links
Facts
# | Fact |
---|---|
1 | Is running for Florida governor in the November 2002 election. [December 2001] |
2 | Is the elder sister of Maggy Reno Hurchalla and Robert Reno. |
3 | Frequently lampooned in The Simpsons (1989). |
4 | Chosen by the Senior Class at Cornell University to give the 2001 Convocation Address. The day before commencement, she addressed students, parents, faculty, staff, and alumni in Barton Hall on the Cornell Campus. |
5 | Appointed as Frank H.T. Rhodes Class of '56 Professor at Cornell University. Was appointed at the same time as Bill Nye, aka the Science Guy. |
6 | Former member of the Cornell University Council |
7 | One of the original members of the President's Council of Cornell Women. |
8 | Was portrayed on "Saturday Night Live" by Will Ferrell. |
9 | Aunt of model Hunter Reno. |
10 | Is the first female Attorney General of the United States. Was sworn in on March 12, 1993, and was appointed by President Bill Clinton. |
11 | Graduated from Coral Gables High School, Miami/Dade, Florida in 1956. |
12 | Graduated from Harvard Law School in 1963, where she was one of only 16 women in a class of over 500. |
13 | Named counsel for the state senate's committee responsible for revising the Florida Criminal Code in 1973. |
14 | Graduated from Cornell University in 1960, with a chemistry degree. |
15 | In 1973, she accepted a position with the Dade County State Attorney's Office. |
16 | Suffering from Parkinson's disease since 1995. |
17 | Named staff director of the Judiciary Committee of the Florida House of Representatives in 1971. |
18 | State Attorney General for Dade County (1978-2002). |
19 | Received the 1997 Living Legacy Award from the Women's International Center. |
20 | Famous for her handling of the Branch Davidian crisis at Waco, Texas and for Elian Gonzalez. |
21 | Suffers from Parkinson's Disease. |
22 | First female U.S. Attorney General (1993-2001). |
23 | Worked for a private law firm in the mid-1970s, and was appointed State Attorney for Dade County (Florida), where she served until her appointment as U. S. Attorney General. |
24 | Inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 2000. |
25 | Has never married or had children. |
Movies
Self
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
The Simpsons | 2013 | TV Series | Herself |
Tavis Smiley | 2007 | TV Series | Herself |
Jimmy Kimmel Live! | 2006 | TV Series | Herself |
Real Time with Bill Maher | 2005 | TV Series | Herself |
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno | 2002 | TV Series | Herself |
Frontline | 2002 | TV Series documentary | Herself |
Saturday Night Live | 2001 | TV Series | Herself |
To the Contrary | 1998 | TV Series | Herself - Interviewee |
Jonathan Dimbleby | 1998 | TV Series | Herself |
State of the Union: Undressed | 1995 | TV Movie | Herself |
American Justice | 1994 | TV Series documentary | Herself |
Archive Footage
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
America's Book of Secrets | 2013 | TV Series documentary | Herself |
La Marató 2005 | 2005 | TV Special | Herself |
101 Most Unforgettable SNL Moments | 2004 | TV Movie | Herself |
The Hunting of the President | 2004 | Documentary | Herself - Attorney General |
60 Minutes | 2001 | TV Series documentary | Herself - U.S. Attorney General (segment "Any Given Sunday") |
Biography | 2000 | TV Series documentary | Herself |
60 Minutes Wednesday | 2000 | TV Series documentary | Herself - U.S. Attorney General (segment "What Really Happened at Waco?") |
Waco: The Rules of Engagement | 1997 | Documentary | Herself - U.S. Attorney General (uncredited) |
Frontline | 1995 | TV Series documentary | Herself - Attorney General |
The Death of Vince Foster: What Really Happened? | 1995 | Video documentary | Herself |
The Clinton Chronicles | 1994 | Video documentary | Herself |
Source: IMDb, Wikipedia