11 of the most impressive Stanford Law School graduates

AP/Ben Margot

Stanford University is an earnest launching point for some of the most successful tech and business minds of the 21st century. The highly selective university is also home to the No. 4 law school in the US.

Business Insider's recently released best law schools ranking considered the job and career statistics of graduates as a chief indicator of a top law school. Seventy-three percent of Stanford Law School alumni secure highly coveted jobs after graduation, according to data provided by the American Bar Association.

Below, we highlight 11 of the most successful and legendary Stanford Law alumni of all time, from the first female Supreme Court justice to the chief operating officer of a multibillion-dollar tech startup.

William Rehnquist, class of 1952, served on the US Supreme Court for 33 years, 19 of which he was chief justice.

AP Images

Prior to his legendary tenure, Rehnquist — a proponent of federalism — practiced law in Arizona for 16 years. In 1969, President Richard Nixon appointed him to assistant attorney general, where he made his opposition of civil rights legislation known.

In 1972, Rehnquist took his seat on the Supreme Court and for nearly two decades represented the conservative minority. Later, as chief justice, he improved the efficiency of the court and led decisions to restrict affirmative action and return power to the states. Rehnquist died in 2005.

Source: Britannica

Cheryl Mills, class of 1990, became a public fixture in politics after serving as deputy White House counsel for Bill Clinton during his impeachment trial in 1999.

Michael Buckner/Getty

Most recently, Mills was former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's chief of staff and lead lawyer, notably involved in the Democratic presidential nominee's private email server controversy. Mills is also the founder and CEO of BlackIvy, a company that builds enterprises in Africa.

Source: BlackIvy

Anthony D. Romero, class of 1990, has been the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) since 2001.

Reuters/Jonathan Ernst

Romero's tenure at the ACLU began just one week before the 9/11 attacks. The first Hispanic and openly gay director has fought back against government initiatives like the Patriot Act and the NSA's domestic surveillance program. He was named to TIME's list of the most influential Hispanics in 2005.

Source: Academy of Achievement

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