Randall Eliason
E-mail: academic@wcl.american.edu
Randall Eliason received his J.D. cum laude in 1985 from Harvard Law School, where he served on the board of editors of the Harvard Law Review. Following graduation from law school, he worked in the litigation groups at the law firms of Hogan & Hartson and Zuckerman, Spaeder, Goldstein, Taylor & Kolker in Washington, D.C. In 1989, he joined the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. He served as an Assistant United States Attorney for more than twelve years and worked in a number of different areas of the office, including misdemeanors, general felonies, grand jury, narcotics, and two years in the Violent Crimes Section. In 1993, Professor Eliason began working as a white collar crime prosecutor in the Public Corruption/Government Fraud section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. In January of 1999 he was appointed chief of that section. He resigned from the U.S. Attorney's Office in August of 2001 to pursue teaching, writing, and other interests.
Professor Eliason has served as an instructor on white collar crime, public corruption, grand jury practice, trial techniques, and other topics, at the Department of Justice National Advocacy Center in Columbia, South Carolina; the Attorney General’s Advocacy Institute in Washington, D.C.; and within the D.C. U.S. Attorney’s Office.
He is a Professorial Lecturer in Law teaching White Collar Crime at the American University, Washington College of Law in Washington, D.C. and at the George Washington University Law School in Washington, D.C. He has also taught at the Georgetown University Law Center.
He is a frequent commentator on television and in the print media on white collar and corporate crime issues. He has appeared on NBC Nightly News, CNN, MSNBC, NPR, PBS, and HBO, and is frequently quoted in newspapers including the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, and the Los Angeles Times.
Currently Teaching
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Selected Publications- Randall Eliason, The Truth About 'Honest Services', Natl. L.J. (Oct. 5, 2009).
- Randall Eliason, We Need To Indict Them, Leg. Times (Sept. 22, 2008).
- Randall Eliason, The Problems With the Reporter's Privilege, 57 Am. U. L. Rev. 1341 (2008).
- Randall Eliason, What Exactly Do You Mean? From Bill Clinton to Larry Craig, Politicians Are Rushing to the Evasive Arts, Leg. Times (Sept. 17, 2007).
- Randall Eliason, Justice Suffers When It's Political, Chi. Trib. (May 24, 2007).
- Randall Eliason, Striking Out: The BALCO Reporters Shielded a Lying Lawyer. They are No Heroes., Leg. Times (Mar. 19, 2007).
- Randall Eliason, A Federal Privilege Law Will Not Keep Journalists Out of Jail, Leg. Times (Dec. 18, 2006).
- Randall Eliason, Threat is Exaggerated, USA Today (Nov. 3, 2006).
- Randall Eliason, The Prosecutor’s Role: A Response to Professor Davis, 2 Crim. L. Br. 15 (Fall 2006).
- Randall Eliason, It's Just Bribery as Usual, Leg. Times (Mar. 2006).
- Randall Eliason, Leakers, Bloggers, and Fourth Estate Inmates: The Misguided Pursuit of a Reporter’s Privilege, 24 Cardozo Arts & Ent. L.J. 385 (2006).
- Randall Eliason, Plame and Unjust Blame (op-ed), Wash. Post (Mar. 9, 2005).
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Selected Presentations
- Randall Eliason, Congressional Testimony, The Free Flow of Information Act of 2007 (House Judiciary Committee, Wash., D.C., June 21, 2007).
- Randall Eliason, Panel Discussion, The American Prosecutor: Power, Discretion, and Accountability (American University Washington College of Law, Wash., D.C., Jan. 31, 2007).
- Randall Eliason, Panel Discussion, Prosecutors in the Newsroom: New Rules of Engagement? (American Society of Newspaper Editors, First Amendment Summit, National Press Club, D.C., Jan. 18, 2007).
- Randall Eliason, Panel Discussion, Do We Need a Federal Shield Law for Reporters? (Scripps Howard First Amendment Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Ky., Oct. 20, 2006).
- Randall Eliason, Speech, Sources and Leaks: When Law Enforcement and Media Interests Collide (Debate at the Kentucky Bar Association Annual Convention, Covington, Ky., June 16, 2006).
- Randall Eliason, Speech, Fair and Honest Services Fraud – 18 U.S.C. 1346 (National Assoc. of Public Pension Attorneys, Wash. D.C., Feb. 9, 2006).
- Randall Eliason, Panel Discusion, Lock ‘em Up? Should Reporters Go to Jail for Refusal to Testify Before Grand Juries? (American University Washington College of Law, Wash., D.C., Mar. 2, 2005).
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Selected Media Appearances
- The McLaughlin Group, "New Journalism" (Public Broadcasting Services Sept. 2, 2007) (Television Appearance).
- Frontline, "News War: Part II" (PBS Feb. 20, 2007) (Television Program, Clip 1).
- Frontline, "News War: Part II" (PBS Feb. 20, 2007) (Television Program, Clip 2).
- Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel, "BALCO Steroid Investigation and Reporter’s Privilege" (HBO Oct. 31, 2006) (Television Program).
- Morning Edition, "The David Safavian Trial (Abramoff Scandal)" (National Public Radio May 31, 2006) (Radio Broadcast).
- Anderson Cooper 360, "Congressional Corruption Investigations" (CNN May 25, 2006) (Television Program).
- MSNBC News Live, "Scooter Libby Indictment and CIA Leak Case" (MSNBC Oct. 29, 2005) (Television Program).
- CIA Leak Investigation (NBC Nightly News Oct. 20, 2005) (Television Program).