Local prosecution offices, such as county district attorney’s offices, and national law enforcement bureaus, including the FBI, have recently conducted several high-profile investigations of municipal, national and corporate wrongdoing. Although these investigations can be routine for those involved, the media often portray them in dramatic and theatrical terms. To de-dramatize the subject and make the process more accessible, I offer a primer on how law enforcement conducts these investigations based on my front-row seat to these events from the last 30 years of practice.