Emily Krueger Values Integrity, Neutrality and Empathy

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As a major case and sex crimes prosecutor for the people of Brooklyn, New York City’s most populated borough, Emily Krueger prosecuted juvenile delinquents in family court. “It was challenging to bear witness to the things that came across our desk. We’re talking about young children who made unfortunate decisions, sometimes because they felt they had no other choice or because they had sadly been abused themselves,” says Krueger. While balancing the safety of the community with rehabilitating the individual before the court, Krueger gained an appreciation for how critical integrity and demonstrating empathy can be in highly sensitive situations, “not just for the victim and the victim’s families, but also for the individuals who were being prosecuted and their families,” says Krueger.

Following her time as a prosecutor in New York, Krueger served as Disciplinary Counsel at the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA), where she sought to uphold the integrity of the legal profession by investigating and prosecuting attorney misconduct.

Today, Krueger is Senior Corporate Counsel on Microsoft’s Workplace Investigations Team. In that role she demonstrates integrity and empathy as a neutral fact-finder and leads a team of investigators who conduct global investigations relating to a specific scope, comprising concerns of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, conflicts of interest related to personal relationships in the workplace, and concerns of sexually explicit materials in the workplace. “Trust is absolutely critical in all that we do at Microsoft. [The company] is committed to providing a work environment that’s consistent with its values and policies, and one of the ways in which we work to achieve this goal is through conducting thorough, neutral and empathetic investigations,”
says Krueger.

Although she does not provide legal representation in her current role, she keeps her advocacy skills honed by volunteering and representing individuals through pro bono work. Microsoft offers Krueger ample opportunity to advocate for the underserved and those who cannot afford legal counsel. She’s provided pro bono services through the Seattle Clemency Project. In one case, she partnered with another Microsoft attorney, a public defender, and a law student to seek clemency for a client incarcerated since 1996. “He was seventeen years old when he made some seriously unfortunate decisions that impacted his life forever. We worked together to successfully pursue his resentencing [over the course of several years]. He ultimately was not granted clemency, but he was resentenced and released after serving over twenty-five years in prison,” says Krueger. Given her former role as a prosecutor, advocating for an individual who committed a serious crime was a significant shift to the other side of the table for Krueger, but it provided her with an appreciation for the power of change and redemption. “It was such an amazing experience to speak with that individual and represent him and work with the team to seek that positive result on his behalf,” says Krueger.

Recognizing the importance of mental health and supporting others with empathy during challenging times, Krueger has also volunteered as a crisis counselor through Crisis Text Line, a global mental health organization dedicated to supporting people in real time in their most difficult moments.

Krueger, who holds a BA in Psychology from Cornell University and a JD from The George Washington University of Law School, was exposed to the law at a young age. Her father was a medical malpractice attorney and her mother a court reporter. “My parents were having these really interesting, passionate conversations about the law and their careers at the dinner table. My father spoke about his profession and the ability to help people with his legal skills with such passion, focusing on how he could help his clients by advocating on their behalf. That’s something that really stood out to me growing up,” says Krueger.

Krueger appreciates that not all aspiring lawyers have role models to look up to in the profession at such a young age. She keeps this in mind as she mentors law students each year through the Leadership Council for Legal Diversity (LCLD) law school mentoring program. In 2021, she was a fellow at LCLD, an organization whose mission is to create a more diverse and inclusive legal profession. Krueger continues to stay connected with LCLD through mentoring law students as well as leading mentoring circles with other lawyers, both in-house and at firms. One topic of particular importance to Krueger in that setting includes mutual support and advice for working parents as they navigate their legal careers with young children at home. It’s not always easy, but having the best of both worlds is a gift Krueger tries not to take for granted.

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