Dr. Scott Kessler

Biography

Scott Kessler is a Lecturer at Columbia Law School and serves as the bureau chief for the Domestic Violence Bureau at the Queens County District Attorney's Office. He has earned a national reputation for his leadership in the prosecution of domestic violence cases, achieving a high conviction rate through successful prosecutions that rely heavily on victim cooperation. Kessler collaborated with the NYPD to develop a system for early investigation and case enhancement, which allows prosecutors to proceed with 'evidence-based prosecutions.' This innovative system includes an integrated database of digital photographs of domestic violence victims and provides direct digital access to 911 calls and emails for communicating protection orders to victims. Since 1988, Kessler has been an Assistant District Attorney in Queens County, where he has prosecuted a wide range of felonies including murder, robbery, and sexual assault. He was awarded the Dewey Award for Outstanding Prosecutor by the New York City Bar Association in 2005. In addition, Kessler was an adjunct professor at St. John's University School of Law from 1996 to 2018, where he taught techniques for evidence-based prosecution at both national and international levels. He was honored as the Adjunct Professor of the Year for St. John's Law School in 2005 and received the Clinical Professor of the Year title for three consecutive years thereafter. Currently, he works as a consultant for the Corporation Counsel of Maui County, Hawaii, and co-teaches the class on domestic violence prosecution.

Research Interests

Experience