Toni Michelle Jackson, Deputy Attorney General of the Public Interest Division at the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia (OAG), is joining Crowell & Moring as a partner in its Litigation and Labor & Employment groups, as well as State Attorneys General practice.

Jackson will focus on complex civil litigation, including employment, commercial, class actions, internal investigations, and civil rights. She brings more than three decades of experience from the public and private sectors. In addition to serving eight years in the D.C. Attorney General's office, she spent six years in the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. Prior to that, she co-founded the first Minnesota law firm owned by Black women, Jackson & Ward, LLC.

"We are so pleased to welcome Toni, a highly-respected first-chair litigator, to Crowell & Moring. Her extensive jury and bench trial experience will help clients facing employment, civil rights, class action, and other complex civil litigation matters," said Philip T. Inglima, chair of Crowell & Moring. "Toni is a tough litigator who can provide insight into the rise in high-stakes AG enforcement matters. Her proven experience will deepen our litigation bench for matters in the D.C. courts and throughout the U.S., and in higher education investigations and disputes."

During her tenure as Deputy Attorney General, Jackson oversaw complex civil litigation, including putative class actions, civil rights, government contracts appeals, and civil enforcement matters. She launched the Civil Rights Section and Elder Justice Section, working on matters such as housing discrimination, racial discrimination, and allegations of fraud and abuse against senior citizens and vulnerable adults. Prior to that, Jackson served as Chief of the Office's Equity Section, where she was responsible for overseeing high-profile, complex civil litigation cases and class-action suits filed against the District of Columbia.

"Toni was an excellent division manager at the Office of the Attorney General, and our loss is Crowell & Moring's gain," D.C. Attorney General Karl A. Racine said. "Toni was a fierce advocate for District agencies in some of our most complex defensive litigation, and for vulnerable District residents in our civil rights and elder financial protection cases."

Jackson has represented both plaintiffs and defendants, and her trial experience includes serving as co- or lead counsel in several jury trials alleging violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the D.C. Human Rights Act, and as lead counsel in a class action under the Olmstead Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Rehabilitation Act. While at the OAG, Jackson received the Attorney General's Award for Outstanding Head of a Division for her significant contributions in the areas of leadership, service, and training.

Jackson also served as a senior trial attorney at the DOJ in the Civil Rights Division's Employment Litigation Section. Much of her work at the DOJ centered on Title VII enforcement matters (Sections 706 and 707), enforcement actions brought under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, and the defense of the U.S. Department of Transportation's Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program. During her time at DOJ, Jackson conducted investigations involving allegations of discrimination by state and local governments in hiring, discipline, and retention. She was recognized numerous times with the Division's Special Achievement Award for her performance.

"Toni is a seasoned litigator. She has handled cases across the U.S. and deepens the strength of the firm's litigation bench with her substantial trial experience," said Mark Klapow, co-chair of the firm's Litigation Group.

"Toni's experience with investigations and defending class actions further bolsters our labor and employment bench," said Trina Fairley Barlow, co-chair of the firm's Labor & Employment Group. "She will be an asset to clients navigating a range of employment matters."

Jackson received her law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School and her bachelor's degree from George Washington University, where she was the recipient of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Medal of Honor. After law school, she clerked for the Honorable Gerald W. Heaney of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in Duluth, Minnesota, and the Honorable John M. "Jack" Mason (Mag.) of the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Jackson is a member of the D.C. Bar and a founding member of The Ivy Foundation, Inc. in Minnesota, a nonprofit organization serving the Twin Cities' communities.

"I am thrilled to be reunited with several former colleagues and to join a firm widely recognized as a litigation powerhouse," Jackson said. "I look forward to helping clients with their litigation challenges."

About Crowell & Moring LLP

Crowell & Moring LLP is an international law firm with more than 575 lawyers representing clients in litigation and arbitration, regulatory and policy, and transactional matters. The firm is internationally recognized for its representation of Fortune 500 companies in high-stakes litigation, as well as its ongoing commitment to pro bono service and diversity, equity, and inclusion.