Charlotte A. Burrows is an American attorney and government official. From 2021 to 2025, Burrows 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, 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 from Massachusetts who served as a member of the United States Senate from 1962 to his death in 2009. A member of the Democratic Party and ...

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 (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...

. Burrows graduated from

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...

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

Yale Law School Yale Law School (YLS) is the law school of Yale University, a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was established in 1824. The 2020–21 acceptance rate was 4%, the lowest of any law school in the United ...

, where she received a

Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

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) is a former United States federal judge, United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. , he is an attorney at the law firm of Blank Rome, Blank Rome LLP, whe ...

of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. While in private practice, Burrows was an associate at

Debevoise & Plimpton Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is an international white-shoe law firm headquartered in New York City, with offices in Washington D.C., San Francisco, London, Paris, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Luxembourg. The firm specializes in intellectual ...

. 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 known as the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a Standing committee (United States Congress), standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the United States Departm ...

. During her time on

Capitol Hill Capitol Hill is a neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., neighborhood in Washington, D.C., located in both the Northeast, Washington, D.C., Northeast and Southeast, Washington, D.C., Southeast quadrants. It is bounded by 14th Street SE & NE, F S ...

, 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 19 ...

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 ...

(DOJ)

Civil Rights Division The Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice enforces federal statutes prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, sex, disability, religion, and national origin. The division was established on December 9, 1957, b ...

'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 was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

announced that Burrows would be nominated to replace Jacqueline A. Berrien 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.

EEOC Chair

On January 20, 2021, Burrows was chosen by President

Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...

to serve as chair of the EEOC, replacing Republican Janet Dhillon. 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.

Donald Trump dismissal

Donald Trump dismissed Burrows from the EEOC altogether on January 27, 2025. No president has ever fired an EEOC commissioner, yet Trump fired Burrows and

Jocelyn Samuels Jocelyn Frances Samuels is an American lawyer. Appointed as a member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) by Donald Trump in 2020, she was made the commission's vice chair by Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born No ...

simultaneously.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burrows, Charlotte 21st-century American women lawyers 21st-century African-American lawyers 21st-century American lawyers Equal Employment Opportunity Commission members Living people Princeton University alumni Yale Law School alumni Year of birth missing (living people) People associated with Debevoise & Plimpton