Entering the Arena - by Lisa Zornberg (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

This book tells the spectacular history of women lawyers at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York (SDNY). SDNY is a storied institution, the oldest federal prosecutor's office in the United States and its most renowned--and a critical player in New York City's high-stakes legal arena. But its history has been only sparsely written about, and this is the first book to share the riveting account of how SDNY's doors came to open to women lawyers. Remarkably, SDNY hired women lawyers far earlier than the Wall Street firms and other elite legal institutions. This book explores why that was. It begins in 1906 with Henry Stimson's hiring of Mary Grace Quackenbos, the very first woman to hold an Assistant title anywhere in the Department of Justice. It continues with the SDNY women lawyers who intrepidly entered the arena throughout the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, and World War II, and who overcame the strict social conformities of the 1950s, when women who entered the law were seen as social "deviants." It tells the previously untold full story of how women challenged the SDNY blockade of the 1960s that prevented them from serving as criminal prosecutors. And it culminates in the 1970s--when that blockade came down and the door to women's entry was irrevocably blown off the hinges. Those SDNY women of the 70s went on to transform the bench and bar. Throughout, this book dissects and examines the close connection between SDNY's hiring of women and its legacy of nonpartisan leadership, which is what drove SDNY's emergence as an important American institution in the twentieth century and beyond.

Review Quotes

Do you forget when almost all lawyers were men? Read this remarkable book and you will see how it took real initiative by both women and men, combined with the tide of social change, to bring women fully into the legal profession. And you will have a good time reading it, too!---Todd Rakoff, Byrne Professor of Administrative Law, Harvard Law School

Like a juror who has just listened to a Lisa Zornberg closing, I am blown away. Lisa brings to life the vital, moving, often humorous--yet, until now, largely overlooked--history of women in the SDNY. As Lisa demonstrates through careful research and engaging storytelling, these women embodied the highest prosecutorial ideals. All of us who have had the privilege to work at the SDNY owe them gratitude for what they built.---Elie Honig, CNN Senior Legal Analyst

Lisa Zornberg has ensured that a slice of the history of the Southern District USAO - an institution many of us treasure and love - will be preserved for future generations. Her book is intricately researched, elegantly written, and filled with insightful and humorous stories.The story of the Southern District parallels the history of the U.S. in a way that Lisa demonstrates vividly. I consistently found myself learning information I didn't know and truly enjoyed seeing the photos of amazing women I have worked with and admire so much. Bravo!---Andrew Ceresney, Partner at Debevoise & Plimpton LLC and co-chair of the Litigation Department

Lisa Zornberg's Entering the Arena provides a masterclass in blending meticulous research with sharp wit to tell the definitive history of women lawyers in the Southern District of New York--a history that, until now, had gone largely unreported. With her unique perspective as the third-ever female Criminal Division Chief at SDNY, Lisa shines a long-overdue spotlight on the women who shaped our country's most powerful U.S Attorneys' Office. The gripping stories of grit, determination and dedication of women AUSAs from Mary Grace Quackenbos to Pat Hynes and Shirah Neiman (and all of those in between) to "do the right thing for the right reasons"--an oft-repeated mantra of SDNY prosecutors--deepens and enriches our understanding of a federal prosecutor's office that has occupied an unrivaled place in our nation's legal history since its founding almost 100 years before the creation of the U.S. Department of Justice itself. A must read not only for lawyers but for anyone interested in women's history.---Tatiana Martins, Partner at Davis, Polk & Wardwell and former chief of SDNY Public Corruption Unit

This is a remarkable story that needs to be told. Zornberg traces the overlooked history of women in the Southern District US Attorney's Office, showcasing the courageous trailblazers as well as the men who blocked them from serving and others who championed them. Zornberg's compassionate narrative is particularly timely in demonstrating that the historical strength of the Office lies not only in the quality of the prosecutors, but in its tireless fight to remain fiercely apolitical.---Karen Seymour, former co-head of Sullivan & Cromwell's litigation department, former GC of Goldman Sachs, and a former Chief of SDNY's Criminal Division

Entering the Arena is a lively and illuminating history of women prosecutors in the fabled Southern District of New York. Starting in the earliest days of the 20th century and running up to the modern era, former SDNY Criminal Division Chief Lisa Zornberg presents compelling mini-biographies of the extraordinary women who, against all odds, made a major impact in what was until relatively recently a "man's world." Zornberg writes with charm, humor, sympathy and admiration for the colleagues who preceded and succeeded her. Lawyers and non-lawyers will appreciate this inspiring and spirited account.---Elkan Abramowitz, founding partner of Morvillo Abramowitz Grand Iason & Anello PC

Entering the Arena: The Spectacular History of Women at SDNY is a gem. It is a fascinating, never before told history of the incredible women of the most powerful prosecutor's office in the country told in an engaging, quick-witted storytelling style. It depicts the importance of reaching for dreams even when they seem impossible, being relentless in pursuit of them, and the tangible impact large social movements can have. Most importantly, this book comes at a crucial moment with a message everyone needs to hear: a strong democracy requires strong institutions and strong institutions come from strong leadership. Lisa takes us on a journey that crystalizes this through compelling stories about an institution that has endured and thrived since 1789, the SDNY.---Mimi Rocah, former Westchester District Attorney

This terrific book tells the story of the women lawyers who served the public interest as Assistant United States Attorneys, with ethics and integrity, in the Southern District of New York, an office established by President Washington in 1789.The story, as told by the author, a former assistant in that office, is an amazing, touching, and inspiring one.---John D. Feerick, Sidney C. Norris Chair of Law in Public Service, Fordham University School of Law

A wonderful read! Combining elegant writing with a zest for the remarkable and unexpected details, Zornberg recounts the storied history and fierce independence of the SDNY's brave and brilliant first women AUSAs.---Nicole Gueron, Founding Partner of Clarick Gueron Reisbaum

About the Author

Lisa Zornberg is a partner at the law firm of Morvillo Abramowitz Grand Iason & Anello PC in New York City. She formerly served as Chief of the Criminal Division at the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, and as Chief Counsel to the mayor of New York City.