Charlotte A. Burrows is an American attorney and government official. Since 2021, Burrows has served as Chair of the

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is a federal agency that was established via the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to administer and enforce civil rights laws against workplace discrimination. The EEOC investigates discrimination ...

(EEOC). Burrows first joined the agency as a commissioner in 2015, and previously served as an associate deputy attorney general. A member of the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

, Burrows also served as an aide and counsel to Senator

Ted Kennedy Edward Moore Kennedy (February 22, 1932 – August 25, 2009) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States senator from Massachusetts for almost 47 years, from 1962 until his death in 2009. A member of the Democratic ...

Early life and education

Burrows is the daughter of Rodney Burrows, a professor of

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...

. Burrows graduated from

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...

in 1992, and is a member of the Association of Black Princeton Alumni (ABPA). Burrows later attended

Yale Law School Yale Law School (Yale Law or YLS) is the law school of Yale University, a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was established in 1824 and has been ranked as the best law school in the United States by ''U ...

, where she received a

Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...

in 1996.

Legal and early government career

After graduating from law school, Burrows became a clerk for Judge

Timothy K. Lewis Timothy Kimbrue Lewis (born November 2, 1954, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is a former United States federal judge, United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and is currently an attorney at the law fi ...

of the

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (in case citations, 3d Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts for the following districts: * District of Delaware * District of New Jersey * Ea ...

. While in private practice, Burrows was an associate at

Debevoise & Plimpton Debevoise & Plimpton LLP (often shortened to Debevoise) is an international law firm headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1931 by Harvard Law School alumnus Eli Whitney Debevoise and Oxford-trained William Stevenson, the firm was original ...

. Burrows was a top aide to Senator

Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee as well as the

Senate Judiciary Committee The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations, a ...

. During her time on

Capitol Hill Capitol Hill, in addition to being a metonym for the United States Congress, is the largest historic residential neighborhood in Washington, D.C., stretching easterly in front of the United States Capitol along wide avenues. It is one of the ...

, Burrows worked on legislation including the

Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 (, ) is a landmark federal statute in the United States that was the first bill signed into law by U.S. President Barack Obama on January 29, 2009. The act amends Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 an ...

and 2008 amendments to the

Americans with Disabilities Act The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 or ADA () is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. It affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ...

(ADA). Burrows served within the

Department of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a v ...

(DOJ)

Civil Rights Division The U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division is the institution within the federal government responsible for enforcing federal statutes prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, sex, disability, religion, and national origin. The ...

's Employment Litigation Section. In 2009, Burrows became an associate deputy attorney general within the DOJ.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

Nomination and tenure

On September 12, 2014, President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

announced that Burrows would be nominated to replace

Jacqueline A. Berrien Jacqueline Ann Berrien (November 28, 1961 – November 9, 2015), often known as Jackie Berrien, was an American civil rights attorney and government official. From 2009 to 2014, Berrien served as chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commissi ...

on the

(EEOC). Burrows was confirmed by the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

by a 93-2 vote, and took office on January 13, 2015. As a member of the EEOC in 2018, Burrows urged Congress to pass the proposed

Paycheck Fairness Act The Paycheck Fairness ActH.R.7 is a proposed United States labor law that would add procedural protections to the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and the Fair Labor Standards Act as part of an effort to address the gender pay gap in the United States. A Ce ...

EEOC Chair

On January 20, 2021, Burrows was chosen by President Joe Biden to serve as chair of the EEOC, replacing Republican

Janet Dhillon Janet Dhillon (née Wilcox) is an American lawyer. She is a former chair and commissioner of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, serving as chair from May 2019 to January 2021, and as commissioner from May 2019 to November 2022. Prior to ...

. During her tenure as chair, Burrows has indicated that pay equity will be a top priority of the agency. Burrows has also indicated interest in strengthening agency guidances related to protecting caregivers. As chair, Burrows issued guidelines stating that "employers may not deny an employee equal access to a bathroom, locker room, or shower that corresponds to the employee’s gender identity." In order for the agency to operate more efficiently, Burrows has pushed for the hiring of 450 full-time EEOC employees.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burrows, Charlotte African-American lawyers Equal Employment Opportunity Commission members Living people Princeton University alumni Yale Law School alumni Year of birth missing (living people)