Jane Lang
Throughout her accomplished career, Jane Lang has been described by many as a visionary. Graduating from Swarthmore College and the Law School of the University of Pennsylvania where she was a member of the Law Review, Jane began her career at Steptoe & Johnson. She was quickly promoted to partner, earning the distinction of first female partner in addition to being the youngest attorney promoted to partner. In 1979, she served as General Counsel for the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development for two years, whereupon she returned to Steptoe & Johnson for five more years. In 1986, she left the firm to form Sprenger and Lang with her soon-to-be-husband Paul Sprenger, specializing in class-action suits involving civil rights. Aside from her many talents as a practicing attorney, Ms. Lang had always cultivated a passion for the Arts, and for this reason began to withdraw from practicing law in order to form a family foundation to promote the arts. This eventually led to the restoration of the Atlas Theater, and ultimately to the revitalization of an entire community in Northeast Washington DC, when she unveiled the non-profit center for performance arts, the Atlas Performing Arts Center. This revived multiple arts center includes four theaters, three dance studios, a café, rehearsal space, and offices for small arts groups. Her accomplishments ultimately led her to become Washingtonian of the Year in 2007, along with her husband.
Newest project: Intersections DC at The Atlas Performing Arts Center