Verified profile

Rod J. Rosenstein

Former Deputy Attorney General & U.S. Attorney

Rod J. Rosenstein's profile photo
LocationWashingtonUnited States
Current rolePartnerBaker McKenzie · since Jun 2025
Government service29yrsU.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) · U.S. Attorney’s Office · Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit

About

As Deputy Attorney General under President Donald J. Trump, Mr. 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 appeals in appellate courts and the Supreme Court.

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 gained extensive litigation experience in trial and appellate courtrooms, handling high-profile fraud and corruption cases as a prosecutor with the Justice Department's Criminal Division, an Associate Independent Counsel, and an Assistant U.S. Attorney.

During President George W. Bush’s first term, Rod supervised all federal criminal tax cases 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. President Trump appointed him Deputy Attorney General, the chief operating officer for the Department of Justice, where he oversaw programs and agencies with 115,000 employees and a $28 billion budget.

Rod helps clients resolve sensitive regulatory, enforcement, and litigation challenges. His practice focuses on government investigations, crisis management, national security and cyber issues, tax controversies, compliance, and monitoring.

Roles

Jun 2025–Present
Current role

Partner

Baker McKenzie

Washington, District of Columbia

Civil LitigationHearings and AppealsLegal AssistanceLegal InvestigatorWhite Collar CrimeTax Attorney

I am honored to join Baker McKenzie as a partner in the Litigation and Government Enforcement Practice Group and chair of the National Security Practice, a team of former US government officials, former prosecutors, trade practitioners, and data privacy and cyber lawyers.

Jan 2020–Jun 2025
Former role

Partner

King & Spalding

Washington, District of Columbia

Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA)Civil LitigationCybersecurityHealth LawLegal InvestigatorAppellate LitigationCybercrime

Drawing upon three decades of experience as a senior government official and as a federal prosecutor in trial and appellate courtrooms, Rod helps clients resolve complex regulatory and litigation challenges, including government investigations, crisis management, internal corporate investigations, national security and CFIUS matters, cybercrime, health care fraud, False Claims Act and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act cases, tax investigations, money laundering and asset forfeiture cases, congressional investigations, compliance and monitoring.

Apr 2017–May 2019
Former role

Deputy Attorney General

U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)

(appointed)District of Columbia

Legal Officers and Practitioners
Aug 2007–Dec 2010
Former role

Adjunct Professor of Law

University of Baltimore School of Law

Baltimore, Maryland

Professor
Jan 2006–May 2011
Former role

Adjunct Professor of Law

University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law

Baltimore, Maryland

Professor
Jul 2005–Apr 2017
Former role

United States Attorney for the District of Maryland

U.S. Attorney’s Office

(appointed)Maryland, District of

Legal Officers and Practitioners
Sep 2001–Jul 2005
Former role

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General

U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Tax Division

(appointed)District of Columbia

Tax Law
Oct 1997–Sep 2001
Former role

Assistant United States Attorney

U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), United States Attorney's Office

(appointed)Maryland, District of

Legal Officers and Practitioners
Feb 1995–Oct 1997
Former role

Associate Independent Counsel

U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), United States Office of the Independent Counsel

(appointed)District of Columbia

Legal Officers and Practitioners
Jan 1994–Feb 1995
Former role

Special Assistant to the Assistant Attorney General

U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Criminal Division

(appointed)District of Columbia

Legal Officers and Practitioners
May 1993–Jan 1994
Former role

Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General

U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)

(appointed)District of Columbia

Legal Officers and Practitioners
Dec 1990–May 1993
Former role

Trial Attorney, Public Integrity Section

U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)

(appointed)District of Columbia

Legal Officers and Practitioners
Aug 1989–Aug 1990
Former role

Law Clerk

Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit

(appointed)District of Columbia

Law ClerkResearchLegal Assistant

Served as judicial law clerk to the Honorable Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg, researching and drafting opinions, orders, and bench memoranda.

May 1988–Aug 1988
Former role

Summer Associate

Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

AttorneyLegal Assistance
May 1987–Aug 1987
Former role

Summer Associate

Mudge Rose Guthrie Alexander & Ferdon

New York, New York

Legal Assistance

Publications & speeches

Begin with the End in Mind

Medium

May 2019

Commencement Address, University of Baltimore School of Law, Baltimore, MD

Link

I Was Always on the Same Team

Medium

May 2019

Remarks to the Greater Baltimore Committee, Baltimore, MD

Link

Federal Criminal Tax Enforcement Falls to Record Low

Viewpoint

June 2024

Link

Tax Leadership Vacuum in Justice Department

Bloomberg Tax

August 2024

Link

University of Baltimore Law School Commencement Address

University of Baltimore Law School — University of Baltimore Law School

May 2019

Link

Campbell Law School Commencement Address

Campbell University Law School — Raleigh, North Carolina

May 2018

Link

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein keynote: The value of compliance

Compliance Week — Compliance Week 2018, Washington D.C.

May 2018

Link