Leslie R. Caldwell

Leslie R. Caldwell (2014-2017)

Early History: Leslie Ragon Caldwell was born in Steubenville, Ohio in 1957.  She received a B.A. in Economics from Pennsylvania State University in 1979 and a J.D. from the George Washington University Law School in 1982. 

From 1987 to 1998, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.  Her positions there included Senior Trial Counsel for the Business & Securities Fraud Section and Chief of the Violent Criminal Enterprises Section.  From 1999 to 2002, she worked at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California, serving as the Chief of the Criminal Division and the Chief of the Securities Fraud Section.  From 2002 to 2004, Ms. Caldwell served as the Director of the Justice Department’s Enron Task Force.  For her work there, Ms. Caldwell received the Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service.  She was also the recipient of the Attorney General’s John Marshall Award for Trial of Litigation and the Attorney General’s Award for Fraud Prevention.  From 2004, Ms. Caldwell was a partner in private practice.

Tenure: In 2014, President Barack Obama nominated Ms. Caldwell as Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division.  She was confirmed in May 2014 and served until January 2017.  Under Ms. Caldwell’s direction, the Division experienced growth in many areas, including combating cybercrime and financial fraud, as well as the expansion of its international operations and anti-money laundering programs.

Later Career: After her service at the Department, Ms. Caldwell returned to private practice, working at the law firm of Latham & Watkins and specializing in white collar and internal investigations.

This material is based on the review of a variety of historical sources and its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. If you have any corrections or additional information about this individual or about the history of the Criminal Division, please contact the Division.