Loretta Lynch was sworn in Monday as the 83rd U.S. attorney general , becoming the first African-American woman to serve as the nation 's top law enforcement official . She said her confirmation as attorney general showed that 'we can do anything ' and pledged to deal with cyberattacks and other threats facing the country . 'We can restore trust and faith both in our laws and those who enforce them , ' Lynch said , an apparent reference to ongoing efforts to repair relations between police departments and minority communities . Scroll down for video . Vice President Joe Biden , accompanied by Loretta Lynch 's father Lorenzo Lynch , second from left , and her husband Stephen Hargrove , second from right , administered the oath of office on Monday . 'We can restore trust and faith both in our laws and those who enforce them , ' Lynch said , apparently referring to race-riot clashes between protesters and police . 'It seems like such an understatement to say my heart is full , but it is , ' Lynch said . ' I have to thank the president for his faith in me and asking me to lead the department that I love to even greater heights . ' Vice President Joe Biden administered the oath of office to Lynch at a Justice Department ceremony . Lynch replaces Eric Holder , who left the job Friday after six years as attorney general . The 55-year-old Lynch was confirmed by the Senate on Thursday following a months-long delay in which her nomination became caught up in a dispute over human trafficking legislation . 'Ladies and gentlemen , it 's about time , ' Biden said to applause . 'It 's about time this woman is being sworn in , ' he declared . 'We got tired of this wait . ' 'But you showed such grace and such humility during this whole process , ' he added , turning to America 's newly minted top cop . Lynch paid an emotional tribute to her family during a brief speech after she took her oath . 'If a little girl from North Carolina who used to tell her grandfather in the fields to lift her up on the back of his mule so she could `` see way up high , Granddaddy '' can grow up to become the chief law enforcement officer of the United States of America , we can do anything . ' She also outlined her hopes for the twilight months of the Obama presidency , saying she was driven by 'the desire to leave this world a better place for us having been a part of it . ' 'The challenge in that – for you , for me , for all us that love this department and love the law – is to use the law to that end . To not just represent the law and to enforce the law , but to use it to make real the promise of America , the promise of fairness , the promise of equality , of liberty and justice for all . ' Democrat Senator Chuck Schumer , the senior senator from Lynch 's home state of New York , gushed about her personal story on Monday . 'She is the ultimate professional : thoughtful , hardworking , keeps her nose to the grindstone , and is able to bring both sides together , ' he said . 'On very difficult cases where police and community leaders were at loggerheads , she was able to bring both sides together and earn the trust and praise of both . ' Biden slapped his former US Senate colleagues , saying it was 'about time ' they confirmed Lynch . Eric Holder , who left his attorney general post on Friday , served in the job for more than six years . Schumer called her 'the American dream come true ' and recalled that her mother picked cotton , 'so my daughter would n't have to . ' Lynch , a former classmate of the future Michelle Obama , was previously the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York , which encompasses much of New York City . She is expected to serve as the top federal law enforcement official for the remainder of the Obama administration . The outgonig attorney general , Eric Holder , said Friday during an emotional farewell at the Justice Department that his time in office would be seen as a 'golden age ' in the department 's history . Holder addressed hundreds of lawyers and staff members , saying , ' I am proud of you . I 'm going to miss you . I am going to miss this building . I am going to miss this institution . ' 'More than anything , I am going to miss you all , ' Holder told the standing-room-only crowd , many of whom embraced him after he concluded his speech . Lynch was born in Greensboro , North Carolina and grew up near Durham , the home of Duke University . Her brother Leonzo Lynch is the senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Charlotte .
Vice senator Joe Biden swore in Lynch on oath . She was a highly York ##ial federal official with a reputation for being hard - nosed and tough . She said her Senate confirmation stated that ' we can do anything ' necessary to deal with cyberattacks and other threats facing the US .