Former U.S. Attorney Jill Steinberg Joins Ballard Spahr

Jill Steinberg—a litigator with 15 years of experience handling high-profile white collar and violent crime matters who has served as a U.S. Attorney and in the senior leadership at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C.—has rejoined Ballard Spahr as a partner in its Litigation Department and White Collar Defense and Investigations Group, firm Chair Peter Michaud announced today. Jill is resident in the firm’s Atlanta and Washington, D.C. offices.

“Jill’s trial ability and background in both the public and private sector are enormously valuable to our clients and add strength to our formidable bench of litigators,” Peter said. “Our clients are sure to greet news of her return with enthusiasm, and we’re thrilled to welcome her back.”

Jill rejoined Ballard Spahr after two years as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. She will assist clients across the country in a variety of federal regulatory matters, including recently announced priorities such as customs and tariff enforcement, procurement, and health care fraud. Her background will also greatly assist Ballard Spahr’s deep bench in representing clients in state attorneys general enforcement work and will further enhance its internal investigations capabilities.

Jill was a partner at Ballard Spahr from September 2021 to February 2023. Over her 15 years as a prosecutor in state and federal courts, she has investigated and prosecuted a wide range of criminal violations, including fraud and corruption. Jill also has extensive experience handling matters involving sexual abuse, child exploitation, and human trafficking.

“I’m delighted to return to Ballard Spahr as it expands its top-notch bench of white collar litigators,” Jill said. “Ballard is at the forefront of the kind of complex, high-stakes issues that are critical to our clients’ success. That’s even more true now, when clients need help navigating new, rapidly evolving challenges.”

Ballard Spahr earned 14 Best Law Firms Tier 1 national rankings in 2025 for litigation practice areas, including Criminal Defense: White-Collar, and many of its litigators have been cited for excellence by Chambers USA. The BTI Consulting Group ranked it among the nation’s “Most Feared Law Firms in Litigation” in its Litigation Outlook 2025 report, specifically identifying it as an “Intimidating Opponent 2025."

On January 1, 2025, Ballard Spahr combined with Lane Powell, gaining more than 150 new attorneys and offices in Anchorage, Portland, and Seattle. Jill is the second partner to join the firm post-combination, following Antitrust and Competition Partner Christopher Wyant, a fellow litigator, who joined the Seattle office in February.

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