Janet Reno was sworn in as the 78th U.S. Attorney General, the first woman to hold the position in American history.
On March 12, 1993, Janet Reno was sworn in as the 78th Attorney General of the United States, becoming the first woman ever to hold this position since the office's creation in 1789.
This appointment shattered a barrier over two centuries in the making. As Attorney General, Reno headed the U.S. Department of Justice, overseeing federal law enforcement agencies including the FBI, ATF, DEA, and U.S. Marshals Service, and represented the United States government in legal matters at the highest level.
Reno went on to become the longest-serving Attorney General of the 20th century, holding the post through both terms of the Clinton administration until 2001. During her tenure she navigated some of the most consequential and controversial episodes in modern American law enforcement history, including the Waco siege investigation, the Oklahoma City bombing prosecution, the Unabomber case, and the Elián González custody dispute.
Her tenure was marked by an emphasis on community policing initiatives, violence against women legislation enforcement, and juvenile justice reform, extending the community-oriented, victim-focused prosecutorial philosophy she developed in Dade County to the national stage. Her appointment remains one of the most significant milestones for women in American legal and political history, inspiring generations of women to pursue careers in law enforcement and government leadership.