Justin Lock is the current head of the United States Department of Justice’s Community Relations Service (CRS), which provides dispute resolution services in conflicts as well as preventing and responding to hate crimes. Created by the 1964 Civil Rights Act, CRS serves as “America’s Peacemaker” and provides services on issues of race, ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability, and gender identity. CRS has offices and conciliators located throughout the country providing mediation, facilitation, training, and technical assistance.

Previously Justin served as chief of staff and senior advisor, special assistant for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander issues, and conciliation specialist for the Community Relations Service. Justin has overseen and delivered federal mediation, conflict resolution, and conciliation of multi-party disputes between local, tribal, state, and federal government and communities. He also managed and led collaborative rumor control responses to build civic trust following unrest after high profile officer involved shootings including those of Philando Castile, Stephon Clark, Mario Woods, Willie McCoy, and George Floyd.

At CRS Justin has designed and implemented systems and process design for peaceful resolution of allegations of racism including multi-sector law enforcement response, media relations, public messaging, risk assessment, and risk mitigation.

Prior to joining CRS, Justin served as a legal aid attorney in Chicago, an attorney trial observer for Lawyers Without Borders in Namibia. He was an extern for the Illinois State Appellate Defender and a United States District Court judge in Chicago. He is a cum laude graduate of Brown University and received his JD with high honors from the Chicago-Kent College of Law.