Ms. Deborah J. Daniels | Attorney

Deborah J. Daniels, who was a partner with Krieg DeVault from 1996 to 2001, returned to the firm in 2005 after serving as the Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs, United States Department of Justice.  She was appointed to that position by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on September 21, 2001.  In her position as Assistant Attorney General, Ms. Daniels directed the primary research and grant-making arm of the Department of Justice, controlling a budget of over $4 billion.  Her responsibilities included several functions directly related to the nation's response to the September 11th attack on the U.S., and the nation's ability to detect, prevent and respond to future terrorist acts.

Ms. Daniels provides counsel to the firm's public and private sector clients in matters affecting public safety, homeland security, disaster preparedness, leveraging of federal and state resources, federal and state regulatory compliance and internal investigations.  She assists the firm's clients in interacting with agencies of the federal government as well as the U.S. Congress.

Ms. Daniels received her B.A. from DePauw University, with honors, in 1973 and her J.D. from Indiana University School of Law Indianapolis, cum laude, in 1977.  Ms. Daniels served as United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana from 1988 ‑1993, during which time she served on the Attorney General's Advisory Committee of United States Attorneys and was twice elected Vice Chair of that body by her peers. She simultaneously served in 1992‑1993 as National Director of the "Weed and Seed" initiative, a neighborhood revitalization program combining law enforcement, human services and economic development in a partnership between government, neighborhood residents and the private sector.  She later headed the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee, a coalition of public, private, nonprofit and neighborhood leaders that has contributed significantly to the economic health of the City of Indianapolis.

In recognition of her aptitude as United States Attorney in organizing efforts with state and local law enforcement, she earned a Department of Justice award for law enforcement coordination.  For her work in directing the national Weed and Seed initiative, she earned the Attorney General's Award for Excellence in Management.  From 2006-2008, Ms. Daniels served as President of the Sagamore Institute for Policy Research, a midwest think tank focusing on a broad range of policy issues. She currently serves as a Principal of the Council for Excellence in Government, a national organization based in Washington, DC that works to improve the performance of government at all levels.