Julie Grohovsky
- Washington, DC
- jgrohovsky@cohenseglias.com
- 202.587.4746
- Represents an American citizen wrongfully incarcerated in Jordan. Representation involves dealing with congressional staff and U.S. Department of State in seeking client’s release.
- A seven-year-old victim of sexual violence in Washington, D.C. Work included filing motions to quash subpoenas that were served on his family for his medical, mental health and educational records, consulting with the prosecutors on interview and trial strategy, and helping to prepare his victim impact statement for sentencing.
- An elderly mother of a decedent who was murdered in Washington, D.C. Work included helping her throughout the criminal trial and speaking on behalf of her and her family at sentencing.
- Client who was unlawfully videotaped by a health care provider. Accompanied client to law enforcement interviews. Negotiated civil settlement on client’s behalf.
- High school and college students who have been victims of sexual assault or harassment in Title IX proceedings and, when appropriate, in criminal proceedings.
- High school and college students who have been accused of violating school codes of conduct by allegedly bringing illegal drugs or weapons to their schools.
- Government employees who are witnesses, targets and subjects in investigations by Inspectors General, including at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Department of Justice (DOJ), and the EPA and before the DOJ Office of Professional Responsibility.
- Whistleblowers who have filed cases under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act.
- Whistleblower who provided information to the SEC.
Julie draws on her experience as a federal prosecutor to represent crime victims in criminal, civil, and Title IX proceedings, as well as whistleblowers who bring cases under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act (FCA) or other laws with whistleblower provisions. She advises individuals—particularly government workers—in investigations conducted by Inspector General’s Offices and the Department of Justice Office of Professional Responsibility; in addition, Julie regularly represents individuals and businesses involved in white collar criminal investigations and students facing criminal and disciplinary proceedings. An accomplished trial lawyer, Julie has investigated hundreds of cases, tried over forty cases to verdict, and argued appellate cases before both local and federal courts.
From 2001 to 2004, Julie served as an Attorney Advisor in the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Justice, where she investigated allegations of fraud, waste, and abuse within the Department and its components.
Julie served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Columbia from 1991 to 2001, during which time she also held the role of Director of Training, and was responsible for training all of the lawyers and support staff in the largest U.S. Attorney’s Office in the country. During her time as an AUSA, Julie received numerous awards from law enforcement and the Department of Justice. In 1998, she was awarded an Atlantic Fellowship in Public Policy and spent ten months studying how sex crimes are investigated and prosecuted in the UK. At the conclusion of her fellowship, Julie published an article in The Journal of Criminal Law entitled, “Giving Voice to Victims – Why the Criminal Justice System in England and Wales Should Allow Victims to Speak Up for Themselves.”
Julie began her career in private practice, defending large corporations who were sued under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act and in product liability cases.
A former member of the Adjunct Faculty at the American University Washington College of Law, Julie has lectured in the US and UK on issues of criminal law, criminal investigations, sexual abuse, domestic violence, victims’ rights, and children as witnesses (including at the 2019 D.C. Bar Judicial Conference) and has consulted for the National Institute of Corrections Project on Addressing Prison Rape.
Julie is also a co-founder of DOVE (Defenders of Victims’ Empowerment), a non-profit corporation dedicated to enforcing victim’s rights in criminal proceedings.
- The Georgetown University Law Center, J.D.
- John Carroll University, B.A.
- District of Columbia
- Ohio
- Taxpayers Against Fraud (TAF) – Education Committee Co-Chair
- Victims Advisory Group (VAG) to the U.S. Sentencing Commission
