Alumni Spotlight: Terry Kinney ‘83
Legal Advisor
U.S. Embassy, Moscow
Photo caption: Terry Kinney, center, taken at the opening of the first human trafficking shelter in the Russian Far East.
Over the course of his career as a federal prosecutor, Terry Kinney has seen criminal activity go global.
“There’s been a huge shift in the last 20 years,” says Kinney, who as a federal prosecutor in Chicago worked on—among other cases—organized crime and human trafficking until moving to Russia in 2004 as a diplomatic attaché for the Department of Justice.
“By the time I left Chicago for Moscow, almost all of my portfolio had overseas connections. I’ve seen a movement from completely homegrown criminal activity to criminals all over the world working together to commit crimes, make money, and put it beyond the reach of law enforcement.”
In his capacity as resident legal advisor at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, Kinney provides technical assistance to the Russian government and works to increase cooperation between the two nations on law enforcement issues. He works closely with the presidential administration and the State Duma—the lower house of Russia’s parliament—on legislative issues, and trains police and prosecutors on how to investigate and litigate cases.
One of the main focuses of Kinney’s work has been human trafficking. He arrived right after Russia passed legislation outlawing human trafficking, but the issue remains a problem; last year, there were hundreds of human trafficking prosecutions. Along with the State Department and the European Union, Kinney has helped to open three human trafficking shelters throughout Russia.
Tracking down and prosecuting criminals who work internationally is complex, involving the cooperation and legislation of many countries. Nations may lack effective criminal legislation, and police and prosecutors often have little experience investigating sophisticated criminal cases. For instance, notes Kinney, Russia lacks effective child pornography laws. He has been working with the presidential administration and the Duma to change that.
“What we’re doing here is critical,” Kinney said. “Criminals work together without regard to borders, and prosecutors and police must do the same, despite different languages and legal systems.“
Kinney, his wife and two children will be leaving Moscow in July after five years of work as a diplomatic attaché, and as of now their plans aren’t finalized. “I never went to law school to make a lot of money,” he said. “My practice has always been about making a difference.”
