NYC prosecutor could be first black female attorney general

Loretta Lynch, a 55-year-old Harvard Law School graduate and a U.S. attorney in Brooklyn, has emerged as an "under-the-radar contender to become the first black woman to head the Justice Department," Fox News reports.

Little is publicly known about Lynch, as she rarely does interviews or holds press conferences. She gained prominence last week when she sat next to outgoing Attorney General Eric Holder at a ceremony to address diverting low-level offenders into drug rehab and job diversion programs, issues Fox calls some of Holder's "pet projects."

U.S. District Judge Carol Amon, who introduced Holder at the event, said, "We all hope that the 83rd attorney general is in this room — someone who may be wearing a little orange thing," presumably referring to Lynch, who wore a brightly colored jacket.

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A group of vocal supporters have already emerged for Lynch, who herself has declined to discuss her prospects.