In 1968, Lederberg began her career as a psychology professor at
Rhode Island College. She became a member of the
Rhode Island House of Representatives in 1974 and became a lawyer in 1976. As a politician, Lederberg remained with the House of Representatives until 1983. She was elected to the
Rhode Island Senate in 1985 and was with the Senate until 1991. For her judicial career, Lederberg worked for the
Providence Municipal Court before being named to the
Rhode Island Supreme Court in 1993. Apart from her tenures, Lederberg ran for
Secretary of State of Rhode Island in 1982 but lost to
Susan Farmer. In 1990, Lederberg was one of the candidates running for mayor of Providence. Before the Democratic primary in Rhode Island, she participated in a competition where she and the other candidates became mayor of a virtual version of Providence in
SimCity. During her play session, Lederberg converted a power plant from conventional fuel to nuclear, built numerous police stations and accidentally demolished a church. At the 1990 primary, Lederberg lost to
Andrew Annaldo after an
election recount was made. ==Awards and honors==