June 15, 2021
Contact: Maeve Cronin
mcronin7@gmu.edu
NSI Advisory Board member Caroline Krass’ Nomination to be General Counsel of the Department of Defense Goes Before the United States Senate
Arlington, VA – On April 28, 2021, President Biden nominated Caroline Krass, a member of the Advisory Board of George Mason University Law School’s National Security Institute (NSI), to be General Counsel at the U.S. Department of Defense and on June 16, 2021 the Senate Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing to consider her nomination.
Ms. Krass is currently Senior Vice President and General Counsel, General Insurance & Deputy General Counsel of American International Group (AIG). Prior to her role at AIG, Ms. Krass was a partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, where she was also Chair of the National Security Practice Group, advising clients on matters involving economic sanctions, intelligence, data privacy, and the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, among other pressing national and cyber security issue areas.
In addition to her extensive experience in the private sector, Ms. Krass has over a decade of public service experience, most recently serving as General Counsel of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Ms. Krass was the first woman to serve as General Counsel of the CIA, and in that role served as the agency’s Chief Legal Officer, principal legal advisor to the CIA Director, and a member of the Senior Leadership Team.
Ms. Krass also previously served as Acting Assistant Attorney General and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Justice Department’s prestigious Office of Legal Counsel (OLC), as Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs in the Office of White House Counsel, as a prosecutor for the National Security Section at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and in numerous other roles in the Justice, State, and Treasury Departments.
Ms. Krass is a recipient of the Department of Defense Medal for Outstanding Service and the John Marshall Award, the Department of Justice’s highest award for an attorney. Ms. Krass clerked for the Honorable Judge Patricia M. Wald on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and is a graduate of Stanford University and Yale Law School.
“It is hard to imagine a lawyer and leader more qualified to be DoD General Counsel than Caroline Krass,” said Jamil N. Jaffer, NSI Founder and Executive Director. “Caroline’s combined decades of experience at the highest levels of government and the private sector—focused on protecting our nation and its industry—have prepared her extremely well for this newest opportunity and, should the Senate see fit to confirm her to this position, I have no doubt she will serve with distinction and honor,” said Jaffer.
Ms. Krass’ full biography can be found here.
About the National Security Institute
The National Security Institute serves as a platform for research, teaching, scholarship, and policy development that incorporates a realistic assessment of the threats facing the United States and its allies, as well as an appreciation of the legal and practical challenges facing U.S. intelligence, defense, law enforcement, homeland security, and cybersecurity communities. NSI draws on the experience of its fellows, as well as its highly distinguished advisory board and faculty, to produce timely research and policy materials that deliver insightful analysis and actionable recommendations to senior policymakers in the White House and key departments and agencies, as well as those on Capitol Hill.
About the Scalia Law School
The Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University is defined by three words: Learn. Challenge. Lead. Students receive an outstanding legal education (Learn), are taught to critically evaluate prevailing orthodoxy and pursue new ideas (Challenge), and, ultimately, are well prepared to distinguish themselves in their chosen fields (Lead). It has been one of America’s top-ranked law schools for the last fifteen years.
About George Mason University
George Mason University is Virginia’s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls more than 33,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity, and commitment to accessibility.