Jack Smith is from Clay, New York, and is a graduate of the State University of New York at Oneonta, and Harvard Law School. Upon graduating, he joined the Manhattan District Attorney's office, where he was an assistant attorney on the sex crimes and domestic violence unit. Subsequently, he went on to serve in the United States Department of Justice as an assistant U.S. attorney, acting US attorney, and head of the department's Public Integrity Section. He was also the chief prosecutor at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, an international tribunal at The Hague tasked with investigating and prosecuting war crimes in the Kosovo War. On November 18, 2022, Smith was appointed by US Attorney General Merrick Garland to serve as an independent Special Counsel in charge of the DOJ's criminal investigations into Donald Trump's actions regarding the January 6th US Capitol attack, and Trump's handling and storage of government records. Smith resigned from the position on January 10, 2025 when, following Donald Trump's election to the presidency, the Justice Department had to drop the already-filed case because of its rule against prosecuting a sitting President.
""The most important author of the moment is The Justice Department."" - The Washington Post ""Good and essential reading for all Americans."" - The Seattle Book Review