Mr. Melson worked for the Department of Justice for 37 years as a federal prosecutor in Virginia, the Director of the Executive Office for United States Attorneys, the acting Director of ATF, and the Senior Advisor on Forensic Science in the Office of Legal Policy. He was the co-chair of the White House Subcommittee on Forensic Science. Prior to his federal service, he was a state prosecutor in Virginia.  

Mr. Melson is a board member of the Consortium of Forensic Science Organizations, which works with Congress on funding for state crime laboratories, medical examiners, and coroners. He is a past president of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and is a member of a forensic accreditation board. For 47 years he was an adjunct professor at the GWU Law School and the Department of Forensic Sciences. He has written articles, chapters, and a book on law and forensic science.