Born in New York City, Ross received a Bachelor of Arts from Wellesley College in 1967 and a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 1970.
She was a staff attorney to the Boston Legal Assistance Project from 1970 to 1971, and was in private practice of law in New York City from 1971 to 1976.
[3][4] On July 22, 1994, Ross was nominated by President Bill Clinton to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York vacated by Judge I. Leo Glasser who assumed senior status on July 1, 1993.
[3] At the time of her nomination, she was married to her husband Joel Henry Goldberg.
The couple have one child and lived in Scarsdale, New York.