Reno, Janet

Reno, Janet Reno, Janet re ´no [key], 1938â€"2016, U.S. attorney general (1993â€"2001), b. Miami, Fla.; grad. Harvard Law School (1963). As assistant state's attorney (1973â€"76) and state's attorney (1976â€"93) for Dade Co., Fla., she became known for her attention to children's rights, drug cases, and juvenile justice reform. In 1993 she was appointed U.S. attorney general by President Clinton , becoming the first woman to hold the office. In her first year in office she came under national scrutiny for her role in the Waco , Tex., shootout between federal officers and Branch Davidians. Under Reno, the Justice Dept. took a relatively unaggressive stance on many law-enforcement issues, while pursuing a number of high-profile antitrust cases. She was the longest-serving attorney general of the 20th cent. Reno sought the 2002 Democratic nomination for Florida governor but narrowly lost the primary. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. Al l rights reserved. See more Encyclopedia articles on: U.S. History: Biographies