Janet Reno served as U.S. attorney general in President Bill Clinton's administration, from February 1993 until January 2001. Reno, who became the first women to hold this office, previously served as a state prosecutor. During her eight years as attorney general, Reno became a controversial figure. Unlike other attorneys general who have close political ties to the president, Reno's controversies dealt primarily with her official actions but at times congressional leaders accused her of shielding Clinton administration misconduct. She drew criticism for a series of decisions, including the Brand Davidian standoff in Waco, Texas, her refusal to authorize independent investigations of alleged campaign finance violations by Vice President Al Gore, and her handling of the Elian Gonzalez case.

Reno was born on July 21, 1938 in Miami, Florida. After graduating from Cornell University in 1960, Reno attended Harvard Law School. One of just a handful of women in her class, Reno also...