Jennifer Lee McManus

I am a former federal prosecutor with specialities in appellate practice, government investigations, and commercial litigation. For 22 years I served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Western District of Michigan, and held leadership roles including First Assistant U.S. Attorney and Appellate Chief.

As First Assistant, I managed the day-to-day operations of the office, supervised the district’s Criminal, Civil, and Appellate divisions, and provided counsel to the United States Attorney on all legal and operational matters affecting the district and its 90-person team. I oversaw cases involving white collar crimes, including fraud and public corruption, as well as national security matters, cybercrimes, and violent crimes, among other matters.

As Appellate Chief, I oversaw the office’s appellate practice, drafted and reviewed hundreds of briefs, argued dozens of cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, including an en banc argument, and collaborated with the Appellate Section of the Department’s Criminal Division and the U.S. Solicitor General’s Office on matters before the U.S. Supreme Court. As a line assistant, I prosecuted violent crime cases and litigated a broad array of civil matters, including False Claims Act, environmental, tort, and regulatory compliance cases.

Before my government service, I practiced commercial litigation at Jenner & Block in Chicago and maintained an active pro bono practice, including criminal defense matters.