Mary Lou Leary
Acting Assistant Attorney General
Mary Lou Leary was appointed Acting Assistant Attorney General on March 1, 2012. As head of the Office of Justice Programs, she oversees an annual budget of more than $2 billion dedicated to supporting state, local, and tribal criminal justice agencies; an array of juvenile justice programs; a wide range of research, evaluation, and statistical efforts; and comprehensive services for crime victims. Prior to her appointment, she served as Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General.
Ms. Leary has 30 years of criminal justice experience at the federal, state, and local levels, with an extensive background in criminal prosecution, government leadership, and victim advocacy. Before joining the Office of Justice Programs in 2009, she was Executive Director of the National Center for Victims of Crime, a leading victim advocacy organization in Washington, D.C. She also served in leadership roles at the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, holding posts as Principal Assistant United States Attorney, Senior Counsel to the United States Attorney, Chief of the office's Superior Court Division, and United States Attorney. From 1999 to 2001, she held several executive positions at the Department of Justice, including Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs, Deputy Associate Attorney General, and Acting Director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.
In addition to her years as a federal prosecutor, Ms. Leary prosecuted crimes on the state and local levels as Assistant District Attorney in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. She received her law degree from Northeastern University School of Law, a master's degree in education from Ohio State University, and a bachelor's degree in English literature from Syracuse University.
