Loretta Lynch Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Loretta Lynch
Official portrait, 2015

83rd United States Attorney General
In office April 27, 2015 – January 20, 2017
President	Barack Obama
Deputy	Sally Yates
Preceded by	Eric Holder
Succeeded by	Jeff Sessions
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York
In office May 8, 2010 – April 27, 2015
President	Barack Obama
Preceded by	Benton J. Campbell
Succeeded by	Robert Capers
In office June 2, 1999 – May 2, 2001
President	Bill Clinton George W. Bush
Preceded by	Zachary W. Carter
Succeeded by	Roslynn R. Mauskopf

Personal details
Born	Loretta Elizabeth Lynch (1959-05-21) May 21, 1959 (age 66) Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S.
Spouse	Stephen Hargrove (m. 2007)
Education	Harvard University (BA, JD)
Signature

Loretta Elizabeth Lynch (born May 21, 1959) is an American lawyer who served as the 83rd attorney general of the United States from 2015 to 2017. The Attorney General is the top lawyer and law enforcement officer for the U.S. government.

President Barack Obama appointed her to the role, making her the first African-American woman to become Attorney General. Before this major role, she was the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. As a U.S. Attorney, she was in charge of federal cases in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and Long Island.

After her time in government, Lynch returned to working as a lawyer at a private law firm in 2019.

Early Life and Schooling
Career as a Lawyer and Prosecutor
- First Term as U.S. Attorney
- Return as U.S. Attorney
Attorney General of the United States
- Important Events During Her Term
- Hillary Clinton Email Investigation
Life After Government
Personal Life
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Schooling

Loretta Lynch was born in Greensboro, North Carolina. Her mother was a school librarian, and her father was a Baptist minister. As a child, she loved watching trials at the courthouse in Durham, North Carolina with her father.

She was also inspired by stories about her grandfather. He was a pastor and sharecropper who helped people escape unfair treatment in the 1930s.

Lynch was a very good student. She earned a degree in English and American literature from Harvard College in 1981. She then went to Harvard Law School and graduated with a law degree in 1984.

Career as a Lawyer and Prosecutor

After law school, Lynch started her career as a lawyer in New York City. In 1990, she became a federal prosecutor, a lawyer who works for the government to handle criminal cases.

From 1994 to 1998, she was the chief of the Long Island office. There, she worked on cases involving dishonest politicians.

First Term as U.S. Attorney

In 1999, President Bill Clinton chose her to be the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. During this time, she oversaw the prosecution of New York City police officers in the famous Abner Louima case.

In 2001, Lynch left her government job to work at a private law firm. She also served on the board of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York from 2003 to 2005.

Return as U.S. Attorney

In 2010, President Barack Obama nominated Lynch to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York again.

During her second term, her office handled several important cases. They investigated large banks and prosecuted politicians who broke the law. Her office also led the investigation into corruption in FIFA, the organization that governs international soccer. This investigation led to charges against 14 top FIFA officials.

Attorney General of the United States

Lynch in the Oval Office after a meeting about a shooting in San Bernardino, California, in December 2015.

On November 8, 2014, President Obama nominated Lynch to become the next U.S. Attorney General. She would replace Eric Holder.

The process of approving her for the job took 166 days, which was one of the longest in U.S. history. The Senate finally confirmed her on April 23, 2015. This made her the first African-American woman to hold the position. She was sworn into office on April 27, 2015.

Important Events During Her Term

As Attorney General, Lynch led the Justice Department. This department is responsible for enforcing federal laws.

Charleston Church Shooting: In 2015, after a tragic shooting at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, Lynch announced that the shooter would be charged with a hate crime.
Chicago Police Investigation: In December 2015, Lynch announced that the Justice Department would investigate the Chicago Police Department to see if they had violated people's civil rights.
Orlando Nightclub Shooting: After a shooting at a nightclub in Orlando, Florida, in 2016, Lynch traveled there to meet with survivors and support the investigation.
Supreme Court Consideration: After Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died in 2016, Lynch's name was mentioned as a possible replacement. However, she asked the White House to remove her name from the list of candidates.

Hillary Clinton Email Investigation

During her time as Attorney General, the Justice Department was investigating Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while she was Secretary of State.

In June 2016, Lynch had a private meeting with former President Bill Clinton on an airplane. This caused concern because his wife, Hillary Clinton, was under investigation. Lynch said they only talked about personal things like their grandchildren, not the case.

Lynch later said the meeting was a mistake because of how it looked to the public. She promised to accept the recommendation of the FBI on whether to press charges. The FBI recommended that no charges be filed, and Lynch's department closed the case.

Life After Government

Lynch's time as Attorney General ended in January 2017. In May 2019, she joined the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison as a partner. She now represents people and companies in important legal cases.

In 2020, the National Football League (NFL) hired her to help investigate claims of misconduct at the Washington Football Team. In 2024, she represented the drone company DJI in a lawsuit against the U.S. government.

Personal Life

Lynch married Stephen Hargrove in 2007. She has two stepchildren from her husband's previous marriage.

Images for kids

Lynch giving a lecture to Dutch ministers about cooperation between the European Union and the U.S. in 2016.
Lynch speaking at Leiden University in the Netherlands.
Lynch speaking at a ceremony for new U.S. citizens in November 2016.