Joyce Maxberry Malliet works as a senior trial counsel with the National Security Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the, District of New Jersey. She works closely with law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute individuals responsible for terrorist activities. Prior to this, she worked in civil litigation and even was a part of the librarian staff at U-High. She finds lots of inspiration from activities that she partook at during her time at U-High and loves doing what she does.
Looking back on your time at U-High, what experience or moment had the greatest impact on shaping who you are today?
“The debate assignment in Mr. Earl Bell’s social studies class. The assignment taught me valuable research and advocacy skills that I still use to this day.”
What achievement in your career are you most proud of, and why does it stand out to you?
“I’m most proud and honored to serve as the chief of national security at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey. I enjoy working with law enforcement agency partners and leading a team to disrupt and/or to prosecute those responsible for terrorist events.”
What is one goal or aspiration you still hope to accomplish?
“Whenever I retire, I would like to work again at a library, to come full circle to my first job working in the U-High library.”
When you were at U-High, what career path did you envision for yourself, and what inspired that choice? How does your current career compare to what you once imagined, and what led to any changes in direction?
“I envisioned becoming an attorney from my seven grade social studies class at Lab in which we studied Supreme Court cases for the whole year and participated in mock trials. I thought this would be a career with always-changing facts and law, and that I’d always be challenged. This has definitely proven to be true. I, however, never imagined that I would be a federal prosecutor practicing criminal law. I started my legal career doing civil litigation, became a law firm partner in that field, and then after a harrowing accident in which I fell between a train and train platform, I ultimately pivoted to public service, first becoming a chief operating officer for a non-profit, and then going to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
Five facts:
• While she started out in criminal law, she made the switch to becoming a federal prosecutor.
• She heads the National Security Unit for the New Jersey U.S. Attorney’s office, which focuses on investigations and prosecutions of threats to critical infrastructure, violations of export control laws, defense contractor fraud, and large-scale immigration offenses.
• She also works closely with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and other law enforcement to prevent terrorist operations before they occur and to investigate and prosecute any planned, threatened or executed acts of terrorism.
• She is a winner of the Van Y. Clinton Award, named after the Supreme Court justice of the same name. The award is given to individuals who have made a significant contribution to the legal profession.
• She was the first African American lawyer, male or female, at a medium-sized law firm that was founded in 1937.
