Hon. Christopher Costa has served as an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) for the District of Columbia Office of Administrative Hearings since May 2018. He adjudicates trial- type, de novo appeals from government agencies’ decisions. A certified mediator, Judge Costa has been an adjunct professor with the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University and the Georgetown University Law Center.

Before his appointment, Judge Costa practiced in law firms and in federal, state, and local government. Experienced in complex civil litigation in the District of Columbia, Virginia, and Maryland, he has also appeared in administrative adjudications and alternative dispute resolution. Judge Costa has made pro bono and public service a core part of his professional and personal identity.

Judge Costa received a Bachelor of Arts degree in French and Political Science from the University of Rhode Island, where he was an Alumni Merit Scholar. Following his undergraduate studies, he served in the U.S. Peace Corps in the Transylvanian region of Romania. Judge Costa received his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the George Mason University School of Law, where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of International Legal Studies and a Dean’s Scholar. After law school, Judge Costa clerked for judges Melvin Hughes, Jr. (Ret.), Theodore Markow (Ret.), and the late Randall Johnson on the Circuit Court of the City of Richmond. He served as Attorney-Advisor to the late ALJ Gail Randall at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.