Nancy Gertner

Nancy Gertner, a former U.S. federal judge, has built her career around standing up for women’s rights, civil liberties, and justice for all. She was appointed to the federal bench of the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts by President Bill Clinton in 1994. In 2008 she received the Thurgood Marshall Award from the American Bar Association, Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities, which recognized her contributions to advancing human rights and civil liberties. The Marshall award has been given to one other woman, Justice Ruth Ginsburg. In 2011, Gertner retired from the federal bench and became part of the faculty of the Harvard Law School, where she teaches a number of subjects, including criminal law, criminal procedure, forensic science, and sentencing. Before joining the bench, Gertner represented civil plaintiffs and criminal defendants in benchmark cases focused on women’s rights and civil liberties. The author of several books, articles, and chapters, she has published widely on sentencing, discrimination, forensic evidence, women’s rights, and the jury system.