Landau & Associates
Expert witness services, litigation support, consulting, and professional education for complex human trafficking, child exploitation, crimes against children, and criminal justice matters.
About Landau & Associates
Landau & Associates was founded by former FBI Special Agent Carrie J. Landau to provide expert witness services, consulting, litigation support, and professional education in matters involving human trafficking, child exploitation, crimes against children, and criminal justice issues.
After more than two decades investigating some of the nation’s most complex crimes against children and trafficking cases, Carrie established Landau & Associates to continue supporting attorneys, organizations, agencies, and communities through expert guidance grounded in real-world experience.
The firm’s mission is simple: provide knowledgeable, objective, and practical support where it can make the greatest difference.
The Starfish Story
The philosophy behind Landau & Associates comes from a simple story about one act of care, repeated with purpose.
One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean.
Approaching the boy, he asked, “What are you doing?”
The boy replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.”
“Son,” the man said, “don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t make a difference!”
After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said...
That belief continues to guide Landau & Associates: meaningful change often begins one individual, one family, or one case at a time.
Former FBI Special Agent & Human Trafficking Expert Witness
Carrie J. Landau is a retired FBI Special Agent with more than 21 years of experience investigating violent crime, crimes against children, child abductions, and domestic minor sex trafficking.
She served in both Cleveland, Ohio and Chicago, Illinois, where she worked on Safe Streets Task Forces investigating violent offenders, gangs, narcotics trafficking, kidnappings, child exploitation, and human trafficking.
Today, Carrie serves as the owner of Landau & Associates, providing expert testimony, litigation support, consulting services, professional training, and case review nationwide. She also teaches Human Trafficking at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and remains actively involved in victim advocacy, policy development, and professional education.
Current Role
Nationwide Support for Legal Teams & Communities
Landau & Associates extends Carrie’s investigative, educational, and victim-centered work into a professional consulting and expert witness platform built for complex trafficking, exploitation, crimes against children, and criminal justice matters.
Career Timeline
Key milestones from FBI Academy entry through specialized task force assignments, crimes against children leadership, CARD Team service, retirement, and the launch of Landau & Associates.
Joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation following completion of the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia.
Assigned to the Safe Streets Task Force in Cleveland, Ohio, investigating violent crime and domestic minor sex trafficking. Served as lead case agent in the Northern District of Ohio’s first federal sex trafficking prosecution.
Served on the Safe Streets Task Force in the Chicago area, focusing on violent crime, child exploitation, human trafficking, kidnappings, extortion, and fugitive investigations.
Served as Crimes Against Children Coordinator for the FBI Chicago Division. Helped coordinate investigations, prosecution efforts, and partnerships among federal, state, and local agencies. Assisted in developing the Cook County Human Trafficking Task Force and spearheaded Operation Cross Country initiatives.
Served as Assistant Team Leader of the FBI Crisis Negotiation Team, coordinating federal resources during kidnappings, barricades, and other critical incidents.
Member and later Team Leader of the FBI Child Abduction Rapid Deployment (CARD) Team, assisting law enforcement agencies nationwide with child abduction and critical missing child investigations.
Retired from the FBI after more than two decades of service and founded Landau & Associates.
Provides expert witness testimony, consulting, litigation support, and professional instruction while serving in leadership and advisory roles throughout the Chicagoland area.
Credentials & Leadership
Carrie’s current work is informed by formal criminology education, FBI Academy training, specialized federal service, teaching, board involvement, and advisory participation across child advocacy, victim response, law enforcement, and human trafficking policy spaces.
Education
- Bachelor of Science in Criminology — St. Ambrose University
- Master of Science in Criminology — St. Ambrose University
- FBI Academy Graduate — Quantico, Virginia
Professional Leadership
- Former FBI Crimes Against Children Coordinator
- Former FBI Child Abduction Rapid Deployment (CARD) Team Leader
- Former Assistant Team Leader, FBI Crisis Negotiation Team
- Adjunct Professor of Human Trafficking, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law
- Police Commissioner, Frankfort, Illinois
- Advisory Board Member, Reclaim 13
- Board Member, Will County Children’s Advocacy Center
- Member, American Bar Association Criminal Justice Standards Project
- Member, Illinois Joint Human Trafficking Working Group
Human Trafficking Experience
Carrie spent much of her FBI career investigating domestic minor sex trafficking and crimes against children.
Her work included developing regional trafficking initiatives, coordinating multidisciplinary responses, training law enforcement agencies, assisting prosecutors, educating community organizations, and partnering with victim service providers throughout the Chicagoland area. She also helped create and implement the Cook County Human Trafficking Task Force and contributed to investigations that influenced the evolution of federal trafficking law and policy.
Carrie has testified as a qualified expert witness in federal courts throughout the United States and has trained thousands of professionals on human trafficking, victim response, and crimes against children.
Leadership, Service & Victim Advocacy
Carrie’s work has been recognized by federal agencies, prosecutors, advocacy organizations, and community partners throughout her career.
Need More Information?
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