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As Deputy Attorney General under President Donald J. Trump, Rod J. Rosenstein supervised all Department of Justice components. He also held senior political appointments under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, as U.S. Attorney for Maryland from 2005 to 2017 and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Tax Division from 2001 to 2005. A skilled trial and appellate lawyer, Rod personally represented the United States in 23 jury trials and argued 21 civil and criminal appeals in appellate courts and the Supreme Court. He helps clients with sensitive regulatory, enforcement and litigation challenges, including civil and criminal cases, congressional investigations, crisis management, national security and cyber issues, tax controversies, and compliance matters.

After earning a B.S. in Economics summa cum laude from the Wharton School of Business and a J.D. cum laude from Harvard Law School and serving as a law clerk for Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, Rod litigated high-profile cases in trial and appellate courtrooms, as a prosecutor with the Justice Department's Criminal Division, an Associate Independent Counsel, and an Assistant U.S. Attorney.

During President Bush’s first term, Rod supervised all federal criminal cases nationwide as the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Department's Tax Division. President Bush appointed him U.S. Attorney for Maryland in 2005 and nominated him to serve as a Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. President Obama retained Rod as U.S. Attorney, and he continued to lead federal law enforcement efforts in Maryland for twelve years until President Trump appointed him Deputy Attorney General, the chief operating officer for the Department of Justice.

As the second-highest ranking Department of Justice official, Rod managed a $28 billion budget and oversaw 115,000 employees in litigating divisions, law enforcement agencies and U.S. Attorney’s Offices. He revised policies concerning corporate criminal prosecutions and parallel domestic and foreign investigations, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act matters, and health care fraud cases. He also approved significant proposed criminal and civil enforcement actions, False Claims Act settlements, and corporate monitor appointments. Rod led the Task Force on Market Integrity and Consumer Fraud and the Cyber-Digital Task Force, and he reviewed national security issues on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).

A member of the American Law Institute, the American College of Tax Counsel, and the U.S. Chamber Litigation Center's Board of Directors, Rod frequently speaks about federal enforcement policies and priorities. He taught semester-long courses for several years as an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland Carey School of Law and at the University of Baltimore School of Law.

Full Bio

Credentials

J.D., Harvard Law School, cum laude

B.S. Economics, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude, Beta Gamma Sigma, Royal Society of Arts Silver Medal

District of Columbia

Maryland

Pennsylvania

Supreme Court of the United States

U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland

U.S. Tax Court

Law Clerk, Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg, U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit

American Bar Association

American Bar Foundation

American College of Tax Counsel

American Law Institute

Edward Bennett Williams Inn of Court

Federal Bar Association

Harvard Law School Alumni Association

Lawyers’ Round Table Law Club of Baltimore

Maryland State Bar Association

National Association of Former U.S. Attorneys

Serjeants’ Inn Law Club of Baltimore

Wharton Club of DC

Recognized in Benchmark Litigation 2024


Benchmark Litigation

Public Servant Award


Armenian Bar Association (2019)

Kentucky Colonel Appointment


Governor of Kentucky (2018)

Distinguished Service Award


Maryland State’s Attorneys’ Association (2017)

Courage in Government Award


Greater Baltimore Committee (2017)

Governor’s Citation


State of Maryland (2017)

J. Joseph Curran Public Service Award


Maryland Bar Foundation (2017)

President’s Award


Mid Atlantic Regional Gang Enforcement Network (2017)

Peter A. DiRito Award


Federal Bar Association (2012)

Fraud Fighter of the Year Award


Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (2009)

Leadership in Law Award


Maryland Daily Record (2007)

Traphagen Distinguished Alumni Speaker


Harvard Law School (2006)

Chief’s Award


Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (2005)

Wasserstein Public Interest Fellow


Harvard Law School (1997)

Close

Recognition

Recognized in Benchmark Litigation 2024


Benchmark Litigation

Public Servant Award


Armenian Bar Association (2019)

Kentucky Colonel Appointment


Governor of Kentucky (2018)

Distinguished Service Award


Maryland State’s Attorneys’ Association (2017)

Courage in Government Award


Greater Baltimore Committee (2017)

Governor’s Citation


State of Maryland (2017)

J. Joseph Curran Public Service Award


Maryland Bar Foundation (2017)

President’s Award


Mid Atlantic Regional Gang Enforcement Network (2017)

Peter A. DiRito Award


Federal Bar Association (2012)

Fraud Fighter of the Year Award


Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (2009)

Leadership in Law Award


Maryland Daily Record (2007)

Traphagen Distinguished Alumni Speaker


Harvard Law School (2006)

Chief’s Award


Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (2005)

Wasserstein Public Interest Fellow


Harvard Law School (1997)

Credentials

J.D., Harvard Law School, cum laude

B.S. Economics, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude, Beta Gamma Sigma, Royal Society of Arts Silver Medal

District of Columbia

Maryland

Pennsylvania

Supreme Court of the United States

U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland

U.S. Tax Court

Law Clerk, Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg, U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit

American Bar Association

American Bar Foundation

American College of Tax Counsel

American Law Institute

Edward Bennett Williams Inn of Court

Federal Bar Association

Harvard Law School Alumni Association

Lawyers’ Round Table Law Club of Baltimore

Maryland State Bar Association

National Association of Former U.S. Attorneys

Serjeants’ Inn Law Club of Baltimore

Wharton Club of DC

Recognized in Benchmark Litigation 2024


Benchmark Litigation

Public Servant Award


Armenian Bar Association (2019)

Kentucky Colonel Appointment


Governor of Kentucky (2018)

Distinguished Service Award


Maryland State’s Attorneys’ Association (2017)

Courage in Government Award


Greater Baltimore Committee (2017)

Governor’s Citation


State of Maryland (2017)

J. Joseph Curran Public Service Award


Maryland Bar Foundation (2017)

President’s Award


Mid Atlantic Regional Gang Enforcement Network (2017)

Peter A. DiRito Award


Federal Bar Association (2012)

Fraud Fighter of the Year Award


Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (2009)

Leadership in Law Award


Maryland Daily Record (2007)

Traphagen Distinguished Alumni Speaker


Harvard Law School (2006)

Chief’s Award


Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (2005)

Wasserstein Public Interest Fellow


Harvard Law School (1997)

Close

Recognition

Recognized in Benchmark Litigation 2024


Benchmark Litigation

Public Servant Award


Armenian Bar Association (2019)

Kentucky Colonel Appointment


Governor of Kentucky (2018)

Distinguished Service Award


Maryland State’s Attorneys’ Association (2017)

Courage in Government Award


Greater Baltimore Committee (2017)

Governor’s Citation


State of Maryland (2017)

J. Joseph Curran Public Service Award


Maryland Bar Foundation (2017)

President’s Award


Mid Atlantic Regional Gang Enforcement Network (2017)

Peter A. DiRito Award


Federal Bar Association (2012)

Fraud Fighter of the Year Award


Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (2009)

Leadership in Law Award


Maryland Daily Record (2007)

Traphagen Distinguished Alumni Speaker


Harvard Law School (2006)

Chief’s Award


Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (2005)

Wasserstein Public Interest Fellow


Harvard Law School (1997)