Steve Kostas

Steve Kostas is an accomplished legal professional with extensive experience in international human rights law and litigation. Currently serving as Senior Managing Lawyer at Open Society Foundations since April 2022, Kostas previously held various roles at Open Society Justice Initiative from July 2011 to August 2023, including Managing Legal Officer, Senior Legal Officer, and Acting Litigation Director. Early career experiences include positions at Interights, Reprieve UK, and the Special Court for Sierra Leone, where contributions spanned from security and rule of law to legal advisory roles. Kostas began professional legal work as a Litigation Associate at Kirkland & Ellis LLP and served as Associate Legal Officer at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. An academic background includes a JD from University of Chicago Law School and a PhD in Biology (Molecular Genetics) from The Johns Hopkins University, complemented by a BS in Biology from Indiana University Bloomington.