Remember When: The First Woman to Run the Justice Department

Thirty-three years ago today, Janet Reno raised her right hand and made history — becoming the first woman ever confirmed as U.S. Attorney General.

She wasn't just a first. She was a force. Reno served for the entire eight years of the Clinton administration, making her the longest-serving Attorney General in nearly 30 years. She was known for speaking bluntly, taking personal responsibility in moments of crisis, and refusing to be anyone's yes-woman — in an era when that kind of independence in a woman at the Cabinet table was anything but guaranteed.

She paved the way for the women who followed: Loretta Lynch, and later, Merrick Garland's deputy Lisa Monaco. But no one forgets the first.

This Women's History Month, we remember the women who walked through doors that had never been opened — so the rest of us didn't have to knock.

Photo credit: Wikipedia