Jessica H. Kim

Jessica H. Kim is the former U.S. Special Prosecutor for the Crime of Aggression.  Appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2023, Jessica was the first American prosecutor since Nuremberg to engage in international efforts to build cases on the crime of aggression.  She worked with the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression Against Ukraine (ICPA), a multinational task force of investigators and prosecutors based in The Hague securing crucial evidence and building cases to hold senior political and military leaders accountable for Russian aggression against Ukraine.  She also represented the United States in international negotiations to establish the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine under the framework of the Council of Europe.

Jessica previously served as Chief of Staff & Counselor of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, responsible for the strategic and operational management of hundreds of federal prosecutors and personnel conducting wide-ranging, complex investigations and enforcement matters.  From 2019-2022, Jessica was the Department of Justice's Resident Legal Advisor for Bulgaria, Romania, and Slovakia, providing justice sector assistance to build capacity in combatting corruption, money laundering, and organized crime.  She promoted procedural and legislative reforms to counter foreign malign influence, build an effective judiciary, and promote the rule of law in Eastern Europe.  Jessica also previously served as an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) in the Southern District of Ohio, where she prosecuted a broad range of federal crimes, including white collar crimes and national security offenses.  For her work as an AUSA, Jessica received the Attorney General's Award for Outstanding Contributions by a New Employee; she has also received the Assistant Attorney General's Award for Distinguished Service for advancing accountability and justice for Ukraine, as well as the U.S. Embassy's Firewalker Award for her relentless pursuit of rule of law reforms in Eastern Europe.

Jessica clerked for the Honorable Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio and the Honorable G. Steven Agee of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.