[3] Heinz was born on January 14, 1935,[2] in Plainfield, New Jersey, and grew up in Alexandria, Virginia.
Heinz was challenged to find employment merited by her achievement at Harvard.
Heinz clerked for U.S. Judge David Bazelon, worked as a lawyer in private practice, and handled cases pro bono for the American Civil Liberties Union and the Women's Legal Defense Fund.
[1] Heinz became known for campaigning for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and as of 1973, helped lead the National Organization for Women in Virginia.
[5] In 1974, Heinz represented John Patler in the unsuccessful appeal of his conviction for the murder of George Lincoln Rockwell, founder of the American Nazi Party.