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Jeanine Pirro is a well-known television personality and former prosecutor who served as an assistant district attorney and district attorney in New York's Westchester County. She joined Fox News Channel in 2006 and hosted Justice with Judge Jeanine for 11 years before becoming a co-host on The Five in 2022. In May 2025, President Donald Trump appointed her as the interim US Attorney for Washington, D.C. Despite her television and political career, there are questions surrounding whether Pirro can still practice law or claim the title of judge. Some sources indicate that she is retired, while others suggest she may have been disbarred or does not appear in legal directories. However, it is important to note that retired judges can still be referred to as judges, similar to retired military officers who retain their rank.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Jeanine Pirro |
| Profession | Attorney, Judge, TV Show Host |
| Can she still practice law? | Yes, she is licensed to practice law in New York. However, there are questions about her qualification as an arbitrator. |
| Current Position | Interim U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C. |
| Previous Positions | Assistant District Attorney, District Attorney, and Judge in Westchester County, New York |
| TV Shows | Justice with Judge Jeanine, The Five, Castles USA |
| Awards | Daytime Emmy Award for her daily syndicated court show Judge Pirro |
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What You'll Learn
Jeanine Pirro's qualifications
Jeanine Pirro is a well-known television personality and former prosecutor. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University at Buffalo and a J.D. degree from Albany Law School, which she received in 1975. Pirro began her career in law by writing appeals and handling minor cases as an Assistant District Attorney in Westchester County, New York. She served in this position from 1975 until 1993.
Pirro has had a long and varied career in law and politics. She served as a District Attorney for Westchester County, New York, from 1994 to 2005. She has also been a judge, though it is unclear if she has any formal qualifications in this area, and some sources suggest that her role as a judge was only on television. She has also been a legal analyst and host for Fox News Channel since 2006, and she has authored six books.
Pirro has been involved in several controversies, including making false claims of voting machine fraud following the 2020 presidential election and being named as a defendant in a defamation lawsuit by Smartmatic. In March 2019, she was criticised for her on-air comments about Representative Ilhan Omar, which led to her show being temporarily replaced by Fox News. Despite this, she has been described as a qualified attorney and a nationally recognised legal expert.
In May 2025, Donald Trump named Pirro as the interim United States attorney for the District of Columbia, succeeding Ed Martin. This appointment has been criticised by some, who argue that her record of bigoted comments does not qualify her to administer justice in a majority-minority jurisdiction.
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Pirro's career in broadcasting
Jeanine Pirro joined the Fox News Channel in 2006 as a legal analyst and host of Justice with Judge Jeanine, a show she hosted from 2011 to 2022. In March 2019, she criticised Rep. Ilhan Omar on her show for questioning the loyalty of American Jews to the US, suggesting that Omar's Muslim faith meant she was more loyal to Sharia law than the US Constitution. Fox News did not air the episode and CNN later reported that Pirro had been suspended by the network. However, then-President Trump tweeted his support for Pirro, writing: "Bring back @JudgeJeanine Pirro."
Pirro has also authored six books, including Liars, Leakers, and Liberals: The Case Against the Anti-Trump Conspiracy (2018). Following the 2020 presidential election, she made false claims of voting machine fraud. In 2022, she became a co-host of The Five, a position she held until May 2025. She has also been a frequent contributor to NBC News, appearing on shows such as The Today Show, Good Morning America, and 60 Minutes. Pirro has won a daytime Emmy for her daily syndicated court show Judge Pirro and has been profiled in several magazines, including The New Yorker and New York Times Magazine.
In 2020, a slurred broadcast by Pirro resurfaced, leading to accusations that she was intoxicated during the interview. Fox News defended her, attributing the issues to "technical difficulties" as Pirro was broadcasting from home. Despite this, she was named as a defendant in a February 2021 defamation lawsuit by Smartmatic and was among the hosts named in the Dominion Voting Systems v. Fox News Network defamation lawsuit for broadcasting false statements about the plaintiff company's voting machines. Fox News settled the case for $787.5 million.
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Pirro's political career
Jeanine Pirro's political career began with her appointment as Assistant District Attorney of Westchester County in New York State. She was appointed to this position in 1975 by District Attorney Carl Vergari, and her career in law is detailed below.
Pirro's political aspirations extended beyond her work as a district attorney, and she eventually sought elected office. In 2005, she was a candidate in the New York Senate race, but her campaign was marred by controversy. She faced scrutiny for plotting to bug her then-husband's boat to catch him in an affair, which created a scandal that rocked her campaign. Despite endorsements from prominent figures such as Republican Governor George Pataki and donors like designer Tommy Hilfiger and Donald Trump, she dropped out of the Senate race due to pressure from party chiefs and lagging fundraising efforts.
Pirro's political ambitions did not end with the Senate race. She set her sights on becoming the New York Attorney General, but her campaign was again impacted by the ongoing fallout from her personal life. In 2006, two months after the revelation of the tapes, she lost the race for state Attorney General to future Governor Andrew Cuomo in a landslide. This defeat marked the end of her political career, and she pivoted to a career in television and media.
Pirro joined Fox News Channel in 2006 as a legal analyst and host of "Justice with Judge Jeanine." She became known for her staunch support of former President Donald Trump, defending him on her show and in private meetings at the White House. She authored books promoting Trump and his agenda, such as "Liars, Leakers, and Liberals: The Case Against the Anti-Trump Conspiracy" and "Radicals, Resistance, and Revenge: The Left's Plot to Remake America." Pirro also pushed conspiracy theories about Trump's election loss in 2020 and made false claims of voting machine fraud.
In addition to her work at Fox News, Pirro has contributed to other media outlets such as NBC News, appearing regularly on shows like "The Today Show." She has also authored six books in total and won a daytime Emmy for her daily syndicated court show "Judge Pirro."
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Can Pirro still claim to be a judge?
Jeanine Pirro is a former District Attorney and judge in Westchester County, New York. She was the first woman to serve as a judge in the Westchester County Court. Pirro has since moved on from her legal career and has pursued other ventures, including a career in television. She joined Fox News Channel in 2006 as a legal analyst and host of "Justice with Judge Jeanine". She also hosted "The Five", which became the most-watched show on cable news. In May 2025, President Donald Trump named Pirro as the interim US Attorney for the District of Columbia, succeeding Ed Martin.
Given that Pirro is a retired judge, it is generally accepted that she can still claim the title of judge, similar to how retired military officers retain the honour of their rank. In social settings, it is proper to refer to a retired judge as "Judge" followed by their name, and in more formal settings, such as an awards ceremony, as "The Honourable Judge" followed by their name.
However, it is worth noting that some sources question whether Pirro can be considered a true judge due to her retirement and the fact that her legal career has taken a back seat to her television career. There are also concerns about her conduct, including making false claims of voting machine fraud following the 2020 presidential election and being named in a defamation lawsuit by Dominion Voting Systems for broadcasting false statements about their voting machines. Despite these controversies, Pirro has not faced any official consequences that would strip her of her title as a judge. Therefore, while there may be ethical or moral debates surrounding her claim to the title, legally, Pirro can still be referred to as a judge.
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Pirro's legal liability
Jeanine Pirro is a former District Attorney, Judge, and host of the Judge Pirro Show. She has also hosted several shows on Fox News Channel, including Justice with Judge Jeanine and The Five. In May 2025, she was named by President Donald Trump as the interim US Attorney for Washington, D.C.
Regarding Pirro's legal liability, there have been questions about her conduct as a judge on her television show and whether she can still claim the title of "judge" if she is retired. However, it is important to note that the rules vary across different jurisdictions. In general, it is not considered a violation of any law or ethical rule for a retired judge to be addressed as such. Similar to retired military officers, they are typically referred to by their former rank in social settings.
Pirro has also faced legal scrutiny for her on-air comments, including a suspension from Fox News in 2019 for criticizing Representative Ilhan Omar's loyalty to the US Constitution over Sharia law. She was also named as a defendant in a defamation lawsuit by Smartmatic and included in the Dominion Voting Systems v. Fox News Network lawsuit for broadcasting false statements about voting machines. However, as of May 2025, there is no indication that Pirro has faced any formal legal consequences or been disbarred as a result of these incidents.
In terms of arbitration qualifications, there are questions about whether Pirro is licensed to practice law in New York, as her name does not appear in some legal directories. However, it is unclear whether she is still qualified to practice law or if she has faced any disciplinary action in this regard.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Jeanine Pirro is a licensed attorney in New York. She has served as a district attorney, judge, and TV host.
It is unclear why her name is not in these databases. However, she has been recognised as a qualified attorney by President Donald Trump, who appointed her as the interim U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C.
Yes, in 2019, Fox News suspended Pirro after she criticised Rep. Ilhan Omar for questioning the loyalty of American Jews to the US.
Yes, in 2021, Pirro was named as a defendant in a defamation lawsuit by Smartmatic. She was also among the hosts named in the Dominion Voting Systems v. Fox News Network defamation lawsuit, which Fox News settled for $787.5 million.
There is no evidence to suggest that Jeanine Pirro has been disbarred. She continues to work in legal roles and is recognised as a qualified attorney.
