[6] At times, she was called "honey" by her male colleagues and would hide or downplay the existence of her then young son.

[4][6] Rendell was nominated by President Clinton on January 7, 1997, to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit vacated by Judge William D. Hutchinson.

[4][10] In 2008, Rendell served as a part of a three-judge panel that overturned the Federal Communications Commission's indecency fine against CBS related to the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy.

[11] In 1993, Rendell founded and managed Avenue of the Arts, Inc., whose purpose was to develop Philadelphia's Broad Street into a world-class artistic venue.

On January 21, 2003, Judge Rendell administered the oath of office to her husband after he won the gubernatorial election in November 2002.