On Topic: Judge Burns Recalls Pioneering Career

U.S. District Judge Ellen Bree Burns, the longest-serving woman judge on the federal bench until she recently retired after 37 years, discusses her career in a newly released installment of “On Topic,” a U.S. Courts interview program.

In a six-minute audio interview, Judge Burns recalls how she was one of just a few women students at Yale Law School in the 1940s, how she turned down her first chance to serve on the bench, and her satisfaction with the growing role of women in the law. Appointed in 1978 by President Carter, Judge Burns retired from the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut on March 31, 2015.

On Topic is an interview series that focuses on the programs, issues, ideas and events shaping the federal courts. View or hear more On Topic interviews.