Curtis Honored with 2023 Presidential Rank Award for Years of Civil Service

Arnold & Porter partner Deborah Curtis, former Deputy General Counsel for Litigation and Investigations at the CIA, received the Presidential Rank Award for her years of civil service with the federal government. The Presidential Rank Award is one of the most prestigious awards in the career of civil service and recognizes the important contributions of public servants across the various agencies of the U.S. federal government.

The 2023 Presidential Rank Award winners were selected by President Joe Biden. This year, President Biden selected 232 winners from 31 federal agencies for their exceptional leadership, accomplishments, and service over an extended period. These individuals are all members of the Senior Executive Service, Senior-Level and Scientific and Professional corps.

During her tenure as CIA Deputy General Counsel for Litigation and Investigations, Curtis oversaw all litigation matters, including the invocation of state secrets and diplomatic privileges and immunities. She also advised on major international policy initiatives that affect national security, including the U.S.-EU transatlantic data privacy agreement and the interface with the International Criminal Court.

As a member of Arnold & Porter’s White Collar Defense & Investigations practice, Curtis focuses on national security investigations and defense, as well as other litigation and enforcement matters. An accomplished trial lawyer, Curtis has chaired 17 jury trials and over 50 bench trials as both prosecutor and defense counsel.