Bio
Lenora Lapidus was the director of the ACLU Women’s Rights Project. She litigated gender discrimination cases in courts throughout the country, engaged in public policy advocacy, and spoke on gender equity issues in the media and to the public. Her work focused on economic justice, educational equity, ending gender-based violence, and women in the criminal justice system.
She and her colleagues won a unanimous ruling from the Supreme Court in AMP v. Myriad Genetics, striking down patents on the human BRCA genes, associated with breast and ovarian cancer. She also won a landmark victory from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in Jessica Gonzales v. U.S., resulting in the issuance of historic guidance from DOJ to law enforcement on gender-biased policing. In 2015, she urged the EEOC to investigate the low number of women hired by studios to be directors for film and television, leading to an in-depth investigation.
Lapidus has received several awards and fellowships, including the Trailblazer Award from Women and Hollywood, 21 Leaders for the 21st Century from Women’s eNews, and the Wasserstein Fellowship for outstanding public interest lawyers from Harvard Law School. She graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School and summa cum laude from Cornell University.
Featured work
Apr 10, 2019
The BE HEARD Act Will Overhaul Workplace Harassment Laws
![Protester holding sign stating "Sexual Harassment: Not on my Watch](https://assets-dev.aclu.org/dev/uploads/2019/09/web19-sexual-harassment-protest-sign-1160x768-400x400.jpg)
Mar 26, 2019
Top 5 Reasons Why the House Should Pass the Paycheck Fairness Act
![Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at an event to advocate for the Paycheck Fairness Act](https://assets-dev.aclu.org/dev/uploads/2019/09/web19-aocpaycheckfairnessact-1160x768-400x400.jpg)
Sep 17, 2018
A Full Investigation Is Needed Into the Sexual Assault Allegations Against Brett Kavanaugh
![Brett Kavanaugh](https://assets-dev.aclu.org/dev/uploads/2019/09/web18-brettkavanaugh3-1160x768-400x400.jpg)
Aug 16, 2018
Our Vision for Achieving Gender Justice In the Trump Era and Beyond
![Women Protesting](https://assets-dev.aclu.org/dev/uploads/2019/09/web18-womensmarchprotest-1160x768-400x400.jpg)
Apr 12, 2018
The Senate Is an Outdated Workplace Unsuited to New Moms
![Tammy Duckworth](https://assets-dev.aclu.org/dev/uploads/2019/09/web18-tammyduckworth-1160x768-400x400.jpg)
Jan 18, 2018
If Sexual Harassment Is Illegal, Why Is It So Rampant?
![Workplace Harassment](https://assets-dev.aclu.org/dev/uploads/2019/09/web18-workplaceharassment-1160x768-400x400.png)
Sep 22, 2017
Who Was Behind the Move to Halt Reporting Rules on Equal Pay?
![Stack of Paper](https://assets-dev.aclu.org/dev/uploads/2019/09/web17-papers-1160x768-400x400.jpg)
Jun 9, 2017
Jessica Lenahan Lived Through a Domestic Violence Nightmare and Emerged as a Heroic Advocate for Police Reform
![A picture of Jessica and her children](https://assets-dev.aclu.org/dev/uploads/2019/09/web17-hometruth-1160x768-400x400.jpg)
Jun 1, 2017
Why Trump’s Newest Parental Leave Proposal Still Doesn’t Cut It
![Donald and Ivanka Trump](https://assets-dev.aclu.org/dev/uploads/2019/09/web17-donald-ivankatrump-1160x768-400x400.jpg)
Apr 4, 2017
Working Women, Your Paycheck Has Been Trapped in a Time Warp
![National Guard Worker](https://assets-dev.aclu.org/dev/uploads/2019/09/web17-nationalguardworker-1160x768-400x400.jpg)