Leaving a Legacy

Brooksley E. Born

Growing up in San Francisco, a commitment to public service was integral to my family. My parents were both civil servants. My father was the head of the public welfare department for 35 years, and my mother taught high school English. It has been immensely important in my life to continue this tradition of lasting public service. When I began law school in 1961, I was one of ten women in the entering class of 165 students and discrimination against women was not only a societal norm but was imbedded in the law.

Certainly, a lot has changed for women since then, and the National Women's Law Center has been at the helm of so much of that change. It has been an exciting privilege to serve on the Board of Directors of the Center since its beginning more than 35 years ago and as board chair since 2003. By making provisions to my will to leave the Center a lasting legacy, I can continue my commitment to the Center that has so greatly served women in my lifetime and will continue to expand the possibilities for our daughters and granddaughters.

Spouse: Alexander E. Bennett
Children: Nicholas, Ariel, Andrew, Laura, Peter
Birthplace: San Francisco, California
Education: JD, Stanford Law School, 1964
Photo by Dupont Photography