Biography of Star Jones

Star Jones, attorney, television personality, former prosecutor and author and lecturer, offers a fresh perspective to the day’s most talked about crime and justice, political and sociological stories from the worlds of news, entertainment and pop culture.

Star is best known to television viewers for her candor, confidence and uncanny ability to clarify muddy legal and social issues.  Her knowledge of the law and talent for television has won her critical acclaim as a news and legal correspondent.

Star has had an amazing television career spanning more than 15 years.  After her initial debut on Court TV in 1991, she became the NBC legal correspondent for Today and Nightly News; hosted her own syndicated talk show, Jones & Jury; was senior correspondent and chief legal analyst for Inside Edition; hosted Live from the Red Carpet for E! Entertainment Television; and was a co-host of the Emmy®-winning talk show The View for nine years.  Star was recently the executive editor and host of the Star Jones Show on truTV (formerly Court TV) a daily news and information talk show.  During her television career, Star has covered, reported on or provided commentary regarding the latest developments in every major criminal and civil trial of the last decade.  She has obtained exclusive and/or personal interviews with everyone from Mike Tyson, Rodney King and O.J Simpson to a host of celebrities, entertainers and captains of industry, politicians and lawyers, as well as several former United States presidents.

As a young prosecutor in Brooklyn, she received national media attention in court with a number of highly publicized victories.  To date her conviction rate (31 of 33) remains the best in the county.  Star became the first New York Assistant District Attorney to obtain the maximum sentence for a 13-year-old defendant tried as an adult for the murder of another teenager.  In another case, she won a 66-year prison term for a serial sex abuser known as the “Bicycle Rapist” after other lawyers had failed to get convictions in four other cases.  As law is still Star's first love, she has been for the last 20 years and still is a licensed attorney in the state of New York.

Star is the author of two best-selling books, a featured guest on numerous television shows and, most important to her, heavily involved in numerous philanthropic efforts.  As the goodwill ambassador for First Star, Star Jones is the voice of the effort to give basic rights to children in America’s foster care system.  She is on the Board of Directors/Trustees of The East Harlem School, The G&P Foundation for Cancer Research and God’s Love We Deliver.  Additionally, she is on the International Advisory Boards of Girls, Inc. and Dress for Success.  In 2002, Star launched her own not-for-profit foundation The Starlet Fund, which makes financial grants to individuals and organizations that are dedicated to the support and encouragement of women, girls and families in need.