Jeffrey Zinsmeister is a Professor of Practice at the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies at the National Defense University. An attorney and former US diplomat, his work focuses on the intersection between the justice system and international affairs, particularly in the areas of rule of law, cybersecurity and data privacy, organized crime, and the integrity of state institutions.
Professor Zinsmeister has more than two decades of experience in law and international affairs. From 2017 to 2023, he oversaw a portfolio of judicial reform and alternative justice technical assistance programs for the Organization of American States (OAS), including large justice reform projects in Mexico and Colombia. Prior to that, he worked as a US diplomat and director of US-Mexico bilateral drug demand reduction and anti-corruption programs for the US Embassy in Mexico City, where he supervised over US$60 million in technical assistance funds. He also worked as a management consultant for Bain & Company’s Sao Paulo office, where he designed and drafted public policy and implementing legislation for Latin American governments.
As a lawyer, Professor Zinsmeister has experience litigating cases with international impact, including proceedings before the Inter-American Human Rights Commission. He served as a law clerk for the Honorable Rosemary Barkett of the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit upon receiving his law degree, and spent years in private practice with Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP, and later with Holcomb & Ward LLP.
Professor Zinsmeister earned his bachelor's degree from Harvard University and his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley. He served as a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and was more recently a fellow for Global Americans, a Washington, DC-based think tank focused on Western Hemisphere affairs. He speaks English, Spanish, and Portuguese, and has appeared as a commentator in international media outlets such as the BBC, CNN, Univision, and NPR. He has also published numerous articles on international affairs in the Americas, and is the co-author of the book, Lost (and Found) in Translation: How to Find, Hire, and Work with the Right Professional Translator for Your Business, published in 2022.
