Vanessa Waldref

Vanessa Waldref, former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, is a partner and founding member of Singleton Schreiber’s Washington office, focusing on environmental protection, wildfire litigation, consumer and financial fraud, personal injury, Tribal litigation, and civil rights.

Ms. Waldref became the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington in October 2021, after being nominated by President Biden and unanimously confirmed by the Senate. Ms. Waldref was the first woman to serve in this role. As U.S. Attorney, Ms. Waldref worked tirelessly to deliver concrete results for residents of Washington, building strong partnerships between federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement to make the community safer and stronger. A relentless advocate for clients and her community, Ms. Waldref successfully opened a new Tri-Cities DOJ branch office to better protect Southeastern Washington communities and fight fraud that impedes the environmental remediation of the Hanford Nuclear Site. Ms. Waldref was also a leader within the Department of Justice on Native American Issues, working closely with Tribal Nations to support Tribal sovereignty, protect treaty rights and Tribal homelands, reduce violent crime on Native American Reservations, and address the crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP).

Ms. Waldref is a nationally recognized leader in environmental enforcement. She was selected by the U.S. Attorney General to chair his Subcommittee on Environmental Justice & Environmental Issues, and she launched Eastern Washington's Environmental Task Force that tackled regional, national, and international cases under the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, and federal laws that protect public health and safety. She also spearheaded civil rights enforcement and hate crime prevention efforts across the district. Ms. Waldref continues this community engagement through her leadership as Board President of Human Rights Spokane. Before her appointment as U.S. Attorney, Ms. Waldref served within the Department of Justice as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington and a Trial Attorney in the Environment and Natural Resources Division.

Under Ms. Waldref’s leadership, the Eastern District of Washington played a key role in the Department of Justice’s fraud-fighting efforts, where she and her Fraud and White-Collar team prosecuted civil and criminal fraud matters, launched an award-winning COVID Fraud Strike Force, and recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for taxpayers under the False Claims Act. Ms. Waldref has first-hand experience working with whistleblowers, as well as negotiating False Claims Act cases at the highest level of the Department of Justice.

Ms. Waldref is passionate about mentoring the next generation of attorneys and has taught several courses at Gonzaga University School of Law, including Environmental Law, Labor & Employment Law, and Conflict of Laws. Before her federal service, she worked in private practice in Spokane and in Washington, D.C., representing Tribes, companies, labor unions, and individuals in employment, trade secret, and other high-stakes litigation.

Ms. Waldref received her B.A., magna cum laude, from Georgetown University, and her J.D., magna cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center. After law school, she served as a law clerk to the Honorable John D. Bates on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Ms. Waldref is a proud Spokanite and loves raising her family in her beautiful hometown.

Professional Awards and Commendations

YWCA Women of Achievement Award, Government & Public Service (2024)

Justice Mary Fairhurst Passing the Torch Award, Washington Women Lawyers (2023)

Certificate of Appreciation from Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General for Exemplary Collaboration and Performance in Addressing COVID Fraud (2023)

Women of the Year, Spokesman Review (2021)

Myra Bradwell Award, Gonzaga University Law School (2021)

Gonzaga University Public Interest Law Project Hero of the Year (2018)

Environmental Protection Agency Office of General Counsel Bronze Medal (2014)

Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Outstanding Achievement Award (2010)

Affiliations

WSAJ – Washington Association for Justice.

TAF Coalition - The Anti-Fraud Coalition 

AAJ – American Association of Justice

Membership

Washington Women Lawyers

Spokane County Bar Association

News

"The Alien Tort Statute After Sosa: A Viable Tool in the Campaign to End Child Labor?", 31 Berkeley J. Empl. & Lab. L.160 (2010)

"Reagan's National Labor Relations Board: An Incomplete Revolution", 16 Geo. J. Poverty L. & Pol'y 285 (2008)

Press Releases