Commission Statement on the Passing of Former Commissioner Roberta Karmel
March 26, 2024
We mourn the passing of Roberta Karmel, the first female Commissioner at the Securities and Exchange Commission. Roberta began her career at the SEC as an enforcement attorney and had a number of roles at the agency in the 1960s after which she became the first female partner at a law firm she joined. Nominated by President Jimmy Carter, she served as a Commissioner from 1977-1980. She later became a professor at Brooklyn Law School where she taught securities regulation for more than three decades. Her legacy lives on through her students, many of whom have served or are currently serving at the SEC. Our hearts go out to her family and all whose lives she impacted.