At 72 years old, Jeanine Pirro stands as one of America’s most prominent legal and media personalities. With a career spanning from the courtroom to the television studio, she has built a formidable reputation—and a reported net worth of $14 million—as a judge, author, TV host, and conservative political commentator. Her sharp tongue, bold views, and deep legal knowledge have made her a household name in both legal circles and cable news.
Early Life and Legal Aspirations
Born Jeanine Ferris on June 2, 1951, in Elmira, New York, she grew up in a Maronite Catholic household with her Lebanese-American parents, Nassar and Esther Ferris, and sister Lulu. Her father sold mobile homes while her mother modeled for a department store. By age 6, Jeanine knew she wanted to be a lawyer. That ambition never wavered.
She graduated from Notre Dame High School, where she gained early experience interning at the Chemung County District Attorney’s office. Jeanine earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University at Buffalo, then attended Albany Law School, where she earned her Juris Doctor in 1975 and served as an editor of the law review.
Breaking Legal Barriers in Westchester
Immediately after law school, Pirro began her legal career as Assistant District Attorney for Westchester County, appointed in 1975. Just two years later, she pushed for and helped establish the Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Bureau, one of the first in the nation.
In 1990, she was elected Westchester County Court Judge, becoming the first woman to hold the post. Just two years later, in 1993, she shattered another glass ceiling by becoming Westchester’s first female District Attorney. She held that role until 2005, re-elected multiple times.
Her work garnered national attention, especially during the Anne Scripps Douglas case and the O.J. Simpson trial, in which she made regular media appearances as a legal analyst.
Political Campaigns and Setbacks
Jeanine’s high profile led her to explore public office at the state level. In 2005, she announced a bid to run against Hillary Clinton for the U.S. Senate as the Republican nominee. However, amid campaign struggles and $600,000 in lingering debt, she withdrew four months later. Instead, she ran for New York State Attorney General in 2006 but lost to Andrew Cuomo.
Earlier, in 1986, she had briefly accepted a role as a lieutenant gubernatorial candidate but backed out within two days due to her then-husband’s financial entanglements with the state.
Transition to Television Stardom
After her political ambitions slowed, Pirro pivoted to TV. In 2008, she debuted her courtroom show, “Judge Jeanine Pirro” on The CW, which ran until 2011 and won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Legal/Courtroom Program in 2011.
That same year, she joined Fox News with her fiery political program, “Justice with Judge Jeanine.” Known for its hard-hitting monologues and pro-Trump stance, the show aired over 350 episodes before being restructured under the network’s reshuffling. Pirro also briefly hosted “You the Jury” in 2017.
Controversies and Comebacks
Pirro has not been without controversy. In 2019, she was briefly suspended from Fox News for two weeks after making Islamophobic remarks about Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. And in 2021, she became a named defendant in the $2.7 billion Smartmatic defamation lawsuit, which claimed she and other Fox personalities perpetuated false claims about the 2020 U.S. election.
Jeanine revealed in her 2018 book, Liars, Leakers, and Liberals, that she had battled cancer six years earlier—a personal detail that stunned many of her fans. Despite the media firestorms, she has remained a prominent figure in the conservative movement.
In May 2025, Jeanine returned to legal prominence when Donald Trump—now an influential political figure again—announced her appointment as Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. The move sparked both praise and criticism, given her media background and political alignment.
Author and Media Contributor
Jeanine Pirro has penned several books, blending fiction and political commentary. Titles include:
- To Punish and Protect (2003)
- Sly Fox (2012) and Clever Fox (2014), part of the Dani Fox legal thriller series
- He Killed Them All (2015), about the Robert Durst case
- Liars, Leakers, and Liberals (2018)
- Radicals, Resistance, and Revenge (2019)
- Don’t Lie to Me (2020)
She’s also contributed legal analysis to major shows like “Larry King Live” and “The Today Show”, and appeared in the HBO docuseries “The Jinx,” detailing her involvement in the Kathie Durst disappearance case.
Family and Personal Life
Jeanine married Albert J. Pirro Jr. in 1975. They have two children—Cristine, born in 1985, and Alexander, born in 1989. The couple separated in 2007 and finalized their divorce in 2013 after years of legal and personal controversy.
Albert was embroiled in a federal tax evasion scandal, convicted in 2000 of hiding over $1 million in income. He served 17 months in prison and was pardoned in 2021 by Donald Trump, his former business partner. The scandal significantly impacted Jeanine’s political credibility during her 2006 AG campaign.
Real Estate and Net Worth
Pirro and her husband built a 7,882-square-foot mansion in Westchester County in 1988, purchasing the property for $425,000. Jeanine tried to sell the home multiple times, listing it for as high as $5.2 million in 2000 and reducing the price to $3.4 million by 2018.
As of 2025, Jeanine Pirro’s net worth is estimated at $14 million, fueled by her $3 million annual salary, television contracts, speaking engagements, book sales, and real estate investments.
