Law Enforcement

guzman_javier002r

Javier M. Guzman

Deputy General Counsel

Mr. Guzman received his B.S. in Economics from Louisiana State University and his J.D., cum laude, from Tulane Law School, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif and the Moot Court Board. Prior to joining the Office, he was the founding Legal Director of Democracy Forward Foundation, a Washington, DC public interest law firm representing non-profit organizations and local governments in regulatory and constitutional litigation. Before then, he served nearly 20 years in the U.S. Department of Justice, receiving numerous commendations and awards for his work. He started in the Civil Rights Division, as a trial attorney and then deputy chief, litigating and supervising the Department’s enforcement work in the area of equal educational opportunities in the K-12 and university settings. He then served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Washington and Florida, litigating civil trials and appeals on behalf of the United States and a wide range of federal agencies.

In his final position in the Department, he served as Deputy Associate Attorney General, overseeing and advising the Department’s senior leadership on sensitive and complex matters arising in the areas of civil rights, environmental law, and federal programs. Before joining the Department, he worked in private practice, in the Washington office of Crowell & Moring LLP, focusing on complex civil litigation and developing a pro bono practice in educational access issues.

Mr. Guzman is a member of both the District of Columbia Bar and the Massachusetts Bar.

p: Assistant: Catherine Hammock 617-495-4778
Ara Gershengorn

Ara Gershengorn

University Attorney

Ms. Gershengorn received her B.A. magna cum laude from Harvard College and her J.D. from Columbia Law School where she was a Notes Editor of the Columbia Law Review.  Following law school, Ms. Gershengorn clerked for the Honorable Amalya L. Kearse of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.  Following her clerkship, Ms. Gershengorn joined the Department of Justice through the Honors Program as an Appellate Attorney in the Civil Division.  Ms. Gershengorn then was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Philadelphia where she prosecuted criminal trials and appeals.  Ms. Gershengorn has briefed dozens of appellate cases and has argued appeals in nearly every federal circuit court of appeals.  Prior to joining the Office of the General Counsel, Ms. Gershengorn was a partner with the law firm of Foley Hoag, LLP in Boston, MA.  She concentrated her practice in the areas of complex civil litigation, white collar criminal defense, and data security and privacy.  At Harvard, Ms. Gershengorn advises on investigations, litigation, and law enforcement related matters.

p: Assistant: Jean Murphy 617-496-4168
kelsh_katie003r

Katie Kelsh

Associate Attorney

Ms. Kelsh received her B.A. summa cum laude from the University of Southern California and her J.D. from Stanford Law School, where she served as Executive Editor of the Stanford Law Review. Following law school, she clerked for the Honorable Sandra S. Ikuta of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the Honorable Christopher R. Cooper of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Before joining the Office of the General Counsel, Ms. Kelsh practiced at the law firm of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP, where she concentrated her practice in complex civil litigation and government investigations. At Harvard, she advises on a wide range of legal issues, including faculty and student affairs, litigation, and investigations.

p: Assistant: Patricia Morfin 617-495-1280