Jay N. Lerner

Jay Lerner is an adjunct Professor in the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administrations. He teaches courses on government oversight and accountability, and ways to improve government operations.

Mr. Lerner held several senior positions during his 31 years of Federal Government service. He worked for and on behalf of several departments and agencies -- including 13 years at the Department of Justice as a prosecutor, 6 years at the Department of Homeland Security, and 12 years in the Inspector General community.

Mr. Lerner served as the Inspector General at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), following his nomination by the President and confirmation by the Senate. As Inspector General, he oversaw an office of approximately 150 employees conducting oversight of the agency. In addition, he held several leadership roles with the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE), and as a member of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC).

During his tenure in the Federal Government, he worked on a variety of matters including:

• Helping to start up two new Federal agencies (Department of Homeland Security and Transportation Security Administration);
• Representing the U.S. Government before international bodies, including the United Nations, Organization of American States, Group of Eight, International Organization of Securities Commissions, and others;
• Leading an overseas training program for foreign prosecutors
• Improving response capabilities after a financial crisis and a hurricane natural disaster;
• Investigating the causes of the financial crisis on behalf of a statutorily-authorized commission;
• Working on the enactment of several pieces of legislation; and
• Prosecuting money-laundering and other criminal cases.

Mr. Lerner served as the Chief of Staff and Senior Counsel, Office of Inspector General, Department of Justice; Assistant Chief, Criminal Division (Fraud Section), Department of Justice; Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, Investigator; Associate General Counsel and Chief Counsel for Security, Department of Homeland Security; Deputy Chief Counsel (Criminal Enforcement), Transportation Security Administration; Counsel for Multilateral Affairs; Legal Advisor, Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training; Special Assistant to the Assistant Attorney General; Trial Attorney, Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and Money Laundering Section; and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office (Eastern District of Virginia).

Mr. Lerner also teaches at American University, and he has spoken at several other schools, including the University of Michigan Ford School of Public Policy, Virginia Tech School of Public and International Affairs, University of Illinois, and George Mason University Schar School of Policy and Government. He was elected to be a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) and is an expert consultant for the Government Accountability Office (GAO), Center for Audit Excellence.  Mr. Lerner holds a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and a Bachelor's degree in Accountancy from the University of Illinois, where he passed the Certified Public Accountants Examination.