Loretta Elizabeth Lynch is an American attorney who served as the 83rd Attorney General of the United States from 2015 to 2017, appointed by President Barack Obama to succeed Eric Holder. She was the first African American woman to hold the position, overseeing key Department of Justice divisions including civil rights and national security. Prior to her tenure as Attorney General, Lynch had a distinguished career as a federal prosecutor. She served as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York from 1999 to 2001 and again from 2010 to 2015, where she oversaw federal prosecutions in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and Long Island, focusing on drug and violent crime cases. Her legal career began after graduating from Harvard Law School, starting as a litigation associate at Cahill Gordon & Reindel in New York, then joining the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York in 1990 as a prosecutor specializing in drug and violent crimes. From 1994 to 1998, she served as chief of the Long Island office, and from 1998 to 1999, she held other leadership roles within the office. After her first stint as U.S. Attorney ended in 2001, she returned to private practice, including work on the National Football League's defense team in a class action lawsuit. Her career has centered on social justice and public service, earning her recognition for contributions to the legal field.