Jade Chong-Smith

Jade brings the right balance of strategic thinking, empathy, and trial skills to her work as an associate in Zuckerman Spaeder’s Washington, DC office.

When lives and reputations are on the line, Jade is a compassionate and fierce advocate who is dedicated to doing everything she can to advance her clients’ goals, no matter how challenging the circumstances.

Over the last several years in private practice, Jade has represented clients in white collar cases, government investigations, campus disciplinary proceedings, and professional responsibility matters. She has prepared numerous cases for trial and argued motions in federal district courts. She is also dedicated to her pro bono clients, including people seeking compassionate release.

Prior to entering private practice, Jade held both policy and litigation roles. While in London, Jade worked as a Trade Policy & Strategy Advisor for the UK Civil Service. She also worked at Privacy International, a non-profit, where she challenged government surveillance practices and defended the right to privacy to support democracy and protect people’s dignity.

Before working in the UK, Jade defended clients in the District of Columbia. She served as a Supervising Attorney and Interim Criminal Division Director at Rising for Justice in DC. She represented clients accused of felonies and misdemeanors in criminal court, and clients accused of domestic violence in civil protection order court. She managed her own caseload while supervising other criminal division lawyers, law school students, and associates from DC law firms in their pro bono efforts.

Jade graduated from Yale Law School, where she assisted in death penalty litigation, defended clients in criminal cases, and helped draft amicus briefs on legal ethics and ineffective assistance of counsel issues. She was a board member of Yale Law Women, the Alliance for Diversity, and the Clinical Student Board. During law school, Jade spent two summers working for the Legal Aid Society in New York City and the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia.