Investigation and Prosecution of Nazi Criminals and Other Human Rights Violators in the US June 17, 2011

Eli Rosenbaum
Director of the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Special Investigations (OSI)
Investigation and Prosecution of Nazi Criminals and Other Human Rights Violators in the United States

Rosenbaum is the longest-serving prosecutor and investigator of Nazi criminals and other perpetrators of human rights violations in world history, having worked on these cases at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for nearly 25 years.

From 1994 to 2010, as director of the DOJ’s Office of Special Investigations (OSI), Rosenbaum investigated and prosecuted World War II-era Nazi criminals. He also worked on criminal and civil cases involving participants in post-World War II crimes of genocide, extrajudicial killing and torture committed abroad under color of foreign law. Rosenbaum previously served as a trial attorney and deputy director at OSI, after coming to the Department through the Honors Program from Harvard Law School in 1980. He has also worked as a corporate litigator in Manhattan with the law firm of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett and was and general counsel for the World Jewish Congress.

In March 2010, OSI merged with another Criminal Division section to form the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section. Today, Rosenbaum remains in charge of the enforcement efforts in the World War II Nazi cases. He also directs the development of strategic and policy initiatives in the “modern,” post-WII, human rights cases. Under his leadership, OSI has won major awards from Jewish organizations and Holocaust survivor groups. OSI was called "the most successful government Nazi-hunting organization on earth" (ABC News, 3/25/95).

The Annual Laura & Alvin Siegal Endowed Forum.

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