Jade Chong-Smith
Associate
[email protected] | P 202-333-4009
Having defended people at every stage of criminal proceedings, Jade Chong-Smith has the compassion, strategic thinking, and experience to provide zealous defense no matter how high the stakes.
At KaiserDillon, Jade handles criminal matters, white-collar prosecutions, government investigations, campus disciplinary proceedings, and professional responsibility cases. When people’s lives and reputations are on the line, Jade is an empathetic and fierce advocate who is dedicated to doing everything she can at all stages of proceedings—whether it is from the very beginning of an investigation, at trial, or for someone seeking post-conviction relief.
Jade is a skilled and efficient trial-ready litigator who is ready to stand by clients no matter how challenging the circumstances. Jade acts thoughtfully and strategically to guide her clients and, if possible, successfully resolve issues before a trial is necessary. If a trial is the right approach, Jade will have ensured that every prior decision has strengthened her clients’ cases.
Jade’s passion for defending clients, no matter what they’re accused of, includes helping pro bono clients. Jade maintains an active pro bono practice, focusing on criminal defense and compassionate release matters. She is also a Board Member of D.C. Justice Lab, a nonprofit dedicated to reforming the District’s criminal legal system and making it a national leader in justice reform.
Before joining KaiserDillon PLLC, Jade worked at Privacy International, where she challenged intrusive government surveillance practices and the overcriminalization and monitoring of people’s online activities. She also worked as a supervising attorney and interim director of the criminal division at Rising for Justice, a DC non-profit organization. Jade represented clients in criminal and civil cases: she argued dispositive motions, cross-examined witnesses (including police officers and United States Attorneys), and prepared dozens of cases for trial. She worked relentlessly to secure favorable outcomes for her clients, including dismissals with prejudice for Brady violations, and helped hundreds of people seal their records and thereby overcome the collateral consequences of arrests, charges, and convictions. In addition to managing her own caseload, Jade instructed students from DC-area law schools in their criminal defense clinics and supervised attorneys within Rising for Justice, as well as attorneys from major DC law firms engaged in pro bono work.
Jade is a graduate of Yale Law School, where she defended clients in criminal cases, assisted in death penalty litigation, and helped draft amicus briefs on legal ethics and ineffective assistance of counsel issues. She was a board member of Yale Law Women, the Alliance for Diversity, and the Clinical Student Board. Over two summers, Jade worked at the Legal Aid Society in New York City and the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia.
Jade is licensed to practice law in the District of Columbia and California.
Education
- J.D., Yale Law School
- B.A. & Sc., McGill University, with Honors
Jade Chong-Smith
Associate
[email protected] | P 202-333-4009
Law 360 – “Handling Corporate Congressional Probes In The Trump Era” co-authored by Bill Pittard
January 17, 2019Matt Kaiser and Justin Dillon in The Washington Post: The Education Department wants to make campus sexual misconduct hearings fairer. It should go further.
September 6, 2018Justin Dillon Opinion Piece in The Washington Post – “The Common App will no longer require disclosure of criminal history. But what it still asks is more troubling.”
August 23, 2018Law360 – “The Latest On Sexual Harassment Reform On The Hill” by Bill Pittard
February 23, 2018Law 360 – “When Russia Investigations Collide” by Bill Pittard
June 7, 2017Justin Dillon and Matt Kaiser Publish Op-Ed: Minnesota’s Failed Football Boycott Was a Blow to Fairness in Campus Sexual Assault Hearings
December 20, 2016Justin Dillon and Matt Kaiser Publish Op-Ed in Los Angeles Times: Absurdity Reigns in Campus Sexual Assault Trials.
April 21, 2016Justin Dillon Publishes Op-Ed on Lawnews.com: Why We Are Suing the Government on Behalf of Students Accused of Sexual Misconduct
April 13, 2016Matt Kaiser Guest Blogs on Washington Legal Foundation The Legal Pulse: Overcriminalization Timeline: Mens Rea, Public Welfare Offenses and Responsible Corporate Officer Doctrine
November 16, 2015Matt Kaiser and Justin Dillon Publish an Editorial in the Los Angeles Times: How to Punish Campus Sexual Assault
November 14, 2015Matt Kaiser Publishes an Editorial in The Washington Times: Being an Executive is not a Crime
November 11, 2015Matt Kaiser and Justin Dillon Publish Editorial in LA Times: Why It’s Unfair for Colleges to Use Outside Investigators in Rape Cases.
September 16, 2015Justin Dillon and Matt Kaiser Publish Op-Ed in the National Law Journal: The DOJ’s Crackdown on White-Collar Crime Creates ‘Cruel Alternative’
September 14, 2015Matt Kaiser and Justin Dillon Publish Op-ed in The Weekly Standard: The Campus Sex Scene: How Congress Can Make It Worse
August 6, 2015Justin Dillon and Matt Kaiser Publish Op-ed in The Washington Post: We’ve defended lots of campus sexual assault cases, so we know just how unfair they are
July 24, 2015Matt Kaiser Publishes Editorial in Baltimore Sun: A Minimum of Reform
November 14, 2014Justin Dillon and Matt Kaiser Publish Op-Ed in San Diego Union-Tribune: California Bill Won’t Solve Sexual Assault Problem on Campus
September 3, 2014Justin Dillon and Matt Kaiser Publish Op-Ed in Boston Herald: College Courts Flunks Fairness Test
August 16, 2014Matt Kaiser Publishes an Article for Time Magazine: Some Rules about Consent are “Unfair” to Male Students”
May 15, 2014Matt Kaiser and Justin Dillon Publish an Editorial in the Wall Street Journal: The White House Flunks a Test on Sexual Assault
May 5, 2014Matt Kaiser and Justin Dillon Publish a Letter to the Editor in the New York Times: The Rights of the Accused
April 28, 2014Jennifer Short authors “The False Claims Act,” and “Settling With The Government,” in The Corporate Compliance Answer Book 2010 by the Practicing Law Institute in June 2010.
June 8, 2010Publication by Jennifer Short appears in the Holland & Knight Health Law and Life Science Alert, titled “Health Care Reform: While Debate Rages, Enforcement Proposals Take Shape.” This article was published August 2009.
August 8, 2009In May 2009, Jennifer Short pens and publishes an article titled “President Obama Signs Landmark Anti-Fraud Bill Into Law,” in the Holland & Knight Government Contracts Alert.
May 8, 2009Jade Chong-Smith
Associate
[email protected] | P 202-333-4009
Jade Chong-Smith
Associate
[email protected] | P 202-333-4009
