Phil Selden

Phil Selden serves as the First Assistant United States Attorney for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland. In this role, Mr. Selden helps manage the investigation and litigation of all criminal and civil cases brought on behalf of the United States.

Mr. Selden began his career as an Assistant United States Attorney in 2010. He has investigated and prosecuted a wide variety of cases, including public corruption, white collar, national security, cybercrime and violent crime matters. Those matters include corrupt public and elected officials, fraud by corporate entities and senior executives, the theft of intellectual property, international firearms trafficking, export controls violations, threats to elected officials, attacks on members of law enforcement, terrorism financing, money laundering, organized crime, racketeering, human trafficking and obstruction of justice.  

His work has been recognized by the Social Security Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and with multiple Department of Justice Special Achievement Awards. Mr. Selden has also previously received an award for Outstanding Contribution to a Law Enforcement Initiative. In 2020 he was named the Homeland Security Investigations Prosecutor of the Year for his efforts in prosecuting domestic and international corruption. 

Before joining the Department of Justice, Mr. Selden worked at the law firm of Arnold & Porter where he handled complex commercial litigation and white-collar matters on behalf of Fortune 500 companies. He began his career working with at-risk youth at the Philadelphia Family Court where he was awarded an Outstanding Achievement Award for efforts to reduce rates of juvenile recidivism.

Mr. Selden received his undergraduate degree from Georgetown University, magna cum laude, in the Government Department’s Honors Program. He also was a member of the Georgetown Track and Field Team. Mr. Selden received his Master’s Degree in Government Administration from the University of Pennsylvania and his Juris Doctor degree from Columbia Law School, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, a Tony Patiño Fellow, and a Paula Jewell Fellow. Mr. Selden has taught as an adjunct faculty member at University of Maryland School of Law, Howard University School of Law and Harvard Law School.