Full Name
Alessandra Serano
Job Title
National Coordinator for Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking/Associate Deputy Attorney General
Organization
US. Dept of Justice Criminal Division
Speaker Bio
Alessandra Serano (Ali) is the DOJ National Coordinator for Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking appointed by Attorney General Todd Blanche in June 2026. She serves as an Associate Deputy General in the Office of the Deputy Attorney General. Previously she served on detail to the Senate Judiciary Committee under Chairman Chuck Grassley and was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Cybercrime Section in the Eastern District of Virginia since 2023. Previously, she served on various special assignments within the Department of Justice from 2017-2021. Ms. Serano served as the First Assistant U.S. Attorney/Criminal Division Chief for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the U.S. Virgin Islands where she was second-in-charge of the office and head of the Criminal Division. She also served as Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Policy, where she drafted policy memoranda related to human trafficking, child exploitation, immigration, and reduction of violent crime, and firearms offenses and assisted with the judicial nominations process. In addition, she served as the National Project Safe Childhood Coordinator for the Executive Office for United States Attorneys where Ms. Serano was a subject matter expert in the areas of child exploitation, human and sex trafficking involving minors, and other federal child sexual exploitation offenses.
From 2003-2021, Ms. Serano was employed as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of California. She is nationally recognized for her numerous prosecutions in human and sex trafficking and child exploitation cases. She tried over 45 federal felony trials and argued over a dozen appeals before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Ms. Serano has expertise and experience in organized crime and gang-related cases involving narcotics trafficking, money laundering, and human and sex trafficking. She litigated numerous immigration and border related crimes, firearms offenses, national security, and other violent crimes. Ms. Serano provided training to foreign, federal, state and local prosecutors and investigators on trafficking matters, victim rights, and trial advocacy, and conducted multiple presentations to various community, law enforcement, military and legal groups on electronic evidence, trial advocacy/practice, and child exploitation/trafficking topics.
Ms. Serano received numerous national awards including the U.S. Attorney General’s Award, the Federal Bar Association’s Sarah T. Hughes Civil Rights Award, and Women in Federal Law Enforcement’s “Top Prosecutor” Award.
Ms. Serano is an Adjunct Law Professor at George Washington University School of Law, and was employed as an Adjunct Law Professor at the University of San Diego, School of Law for ten years.
Ms. Serano started her legal career as an associate at Howrey, Simon, Arnold & White, LLP, where she specialized in intellectual property, insurance recovery, white collar criminal defense, labor and employment, and other complex commercial litigation matters. Prior to attending law school, she worked in law enforcement where was employed by the Riverside County Probation Department, Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, and the Riverside County Department of Public Social Services.
Ms. Serano attended the University of Miami, School of Law where she graduated magna cum laude in 1999. She received her B.A. in Political Science/Law & Society from the University of California, Riverside in 1993.
Ms. Serano is a licensed private pilot.
From 2003-2021, Ms. Serano was employed as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of California. She is nationally recognized for her numerous prosecutions in human and sex trafficking and child exploitation cases. She tried over 45 federal felony trials and argued over a dozen appeals before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Ms. Serano has expertise and experience in organized crime and gang-related cases involving narcotics trafficking, money laundering, and human and sex trafficking. She litigated numerous immigration and border related crimes, firearms offenses, national security, and other violent crimes. Ms. Serano provided training to foreign, federal, state and local prosecutors and investigators on trafficking matters, victim rights, and trial advocacy, and conducted multiple presentations to various community, law enforcement, military and legal groups on electronic evidence, trial advocacy/practice, and child exploitation/trafficking topics.
Ms. Serano received numerous national awards including the U.S. Attorney General’s Award, the Federal Bar Association’s Sarah T. Hughes Civil Rights Award, and Women in Federal Law Enforcement’s “Top Prosecutor” Award.
Ms. Serano is an Adjunct Law Professor at George Washington University School of Law, and was employed as an Adjunct Law Professor at the University of San Diego, School of Law for ten years.
Ms. Serano started her legal career as an associate at Howrey, Simon, Arnold & White, LLP, where she specialized in intellectual property, insurance recovery, white collar criminal defense, labor and employment, and other complex commercial litigation matters. Prior to attending law school, she worked in law enforcement where was employed by the Riverside County Probation Department, Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, and the Riverside County Department of Public Social Services.
Ms. Serano attended the University of Miami, School of Law where she graduated magna cum laude in 1999. She received her B.A. in Political Science/Law & Society from the University of California, Riverside in 1993.
Ms. Serano is a licensed private pilot.
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