Julia Curlee is a former CIA analyst who spent about twenty five years working on national security, and her name keeps showing up in news stories and search bars. This Julia Curlee biography tells you who she is, what she has done, and which details she has kept private. Think of it like a map: we draw the roads that are confirmed and leave the unknown places blank.
Who Is Julia Curlee and Why It Matters
Julia Curlee is an American former intelligence officer. She joined the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in 2007 and later worked as a director at the National Security Council (NSC) inside the White House. She is also known as a writer and teacher on national security topics.
Why do people care? One reason is her work. An intelligence analyst is a bit like a puzzle solver who gets pieces from many places and has to work out the full picture before anyone else sees it. Another reason is her story. In 2013, she became the first CIA officer to transition openly while continuing to serve at the agency. That made her a trailblazer in a very serious and private line of work.
Quick facts:
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Julia Curlee |
| Known For | Former CIA officer and NSC director |
| Current Work | Public Service Fellow at Lawfare, university lecturer |
| Education | Master’s degrees from the National War College and American University |
| Grew Up In | Hawaii |
| Age, Height, Net Worth | Not publicly confirmed |
Name warning: Other people in the United States also have the name Julia Curlee. Some personal data sites mix these people together and show guessed numbers. Do not trust those pages for her age or money.
Current Status as of October 19, 2026
Here is where things stand today. Julia Curlee is a Public Service Fellow at Lawfare, a respected site that covers law and national security. She is also listed as a part time professorial lecturer at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University, where she is tied to the MA in Security Policy Studies and a class on U.S. national security. She writes commentary as well, and her author page appears on Foreign Policy.
Her Wikipedia page says she was fired in 2025 by President Trump because she is transgender. That is a major point in her public story, so we are telling you where the claim comes from. She has also written about her experience working inside the White House.
Important dates:
2007: Joined the CIA.
2013: Became the first CIA officer to transition openly and keep serving.
2025: Fired from her White House role, according to her Wikipedia page.
Early Life and Family Background
Julia Curlee grew up in Hawaii. She is the granddaughter of an immigrant, which tells us her family story reaches back to another country. Reports also say she dreamed of becoming an intelligence officer since she was a child. Beyond that, she has not shared much about her childhood home, her school days, or her relatives. That is her right, and it is common for people from the intelligence world to keep family life quiet.
Career
Her career is the heart of this story. After joining the CIA in 2007, she served under four presidents, traveled to thirty countries, and provided intelligence during three wars. She completed several tours in the Middle East and South Asia. She also served in the CIA’s China Mission Center, the part of the agency that focuses on China.
Later, she became a presidential daily briefer. In plain words, that means she helped prepare and share the short morning intelligence report that top leaders read. She briefed Vice President Mike Pence during the last year of President Trump’s first term. Under President Biden, she directed intelligence programs, and she was an NSC director in the Biden White House and in the second Trump White House. The NSC is the team that helps the president make choices about safety and foreign affairs.
Age
Julia Curlee’s exact birth date and age have not been published in verified reporting. Some sites throw out a number, but no trusted source backs it up. What we can say is that she reports about twenty five years of national security experience. So she is not a newcomer to her field.
Religion
Her religion has not been made public. She has not listed a faith in her professional biographies or in the articles we checked. We will not guess, because a wrong guess about someone’s beliefs is unfair and unhelpful.
Wife/Husband
There is no verified information about a spouse or partner. She has not named a husband or wife in her published writing or her official profiles. If she shares this one day, it should come from her.
Net Worth
Her net worth has not been publicly disclosed or independently verified. Be careful with websites that show a dollar figure, because those numbers are often made up. A government career, university teaching, and writing all bring in income, but nobody outside her circle knows the total.
Parents
Her parents have not been named in public reporting. We only know she is the granddaughter of an immigrant. If you see names listed online as her mother or father, treat them as unproven until a trusted outlet confirms them.
Height
No verified height has been reported. This is not a detail she has discussed, and it has nothing to do with her work. We skip it rather than invent a number.
Education
Julia Curlee holds two master’s degrees: one from the National War College and one from American University. Her university faculty page describes her studies as U.S. foreign policy and national security. Today she has moved from student to teacher, and she helps train the next group of national security thinkers.
State of Origin
Her home state is Hawaii, where she grew up, according to her Wikipedia entry. Her work took her far from the islands, including long trips abroad and years in Washington, D.C. We do not have a verified birthplace beyond that.
Social Media Links
You can follow her professional work through these public pages:
- Julia Curlee on Bluesky (@juliacurlee.bsky.social)
- Julia Curlee at Lawfare
- Julia Curlee on Wikipedia
Her Lawfare page notes that the opinions she shares are her own and not those of the U.S. government.
Good to know: Everything marked as confirmed in this article comes from named public pages. Anything else is clearly labeled as not published.
FAQ
Who is Julia Curlee?
Julia Curlee is a former CIA analyst and National Security Council director with about twenty five years of national security experience. She is now a Public Service Fellow at Lawfare and a university lecturer.
Why is Julia Curlee famous?
She is known for her intelligence career and for being the first CIA officer to transition openly while continuing to serve, which she did in 2013.
What did Julia Curlee do at the White House?
She worked as an NSC director in the Biden and second Trump White Houses. Earlier, she was a presidential daily briefer who briefed the vice president.
How old is Julia Curlee?
Her age has not been published in verified reporting, so no exact number can be confirmed.
What is Julia Curlee’s net worth?
There is no confirmed figure. She has not disclosed it, and no trusted outlet has verified one.
Where did Julia Curlee study?
She earned master’s degrees from the National War College and American University.
Where did Julia Curlee grow up?
She grew up in Hawaii, and she is the granddaughter of an immigrant.
Final Word
Julia Curlee’s story is bigger than a list of dates. It follows a person who chased an early dream, served in some of the most sensitive jobs in government, and was open about who she is while doing it. Her climb from the CIA to the White House, and then to teaching and writing, shows how one career can change shape without losing its purpose.
Just as important is what we do not know. Her age, spouse, religion, parents, height, and net worth are not public, and we left them blank on purpose. A good biography respects that line. If new details appear from her own words or from trusted news outlets, this page can be updated.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information and is based on publicly available sources current as of October 19, 2026. Details that have not been publicly confirmed are described as unavailable rather than estimated. Information may change, and readers should check the linked pages for updates.
