Pres. Obama Nominates 7 U.S. Attorneys; Senate Confirms 7 Others

D.C. nominee Ronald Machen

By Allan Lengel

ticklethewire.com

WASHINGTON — The burden of filling U.S. Attorney posts around the country just got a little lighter.

The White House announced Thursday that President Obama had nominated seven U.S. Attorneys including Ron Machen for D.C. and Sally Quillian Yates for the Northern District of Georgia.

And the U.S. Senate, according to the website Main Justice, confirmed 7 previous nominees for U.S. Attorney posts including: Richard Callahan (Eastern District of Missouri): Sanford Coats (Western District of Oklahoma): Michael Cotter (Montana): Christopher Crofts (Wyoming): Barbara McQuade (Eastern District of Michigan): James Santelle (Eastern District of Wisconsin); Mary Elizabeth Phillips (Western District of Missouri):

The following are the names and bios of the U.S. Attorneys who were just nominated, according to the following White House press release:

André Birotte, Jr.: Nominee for the Central District of California

André Birotte, Jr. works for the Los Angeles Police Commission, where he has been Inspector General since 2003 and served as an Assistant Inspector General from 2001 to 2003. From 1995 to 1999, Birotte served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Central District of California. He started his legal career as a Deputy Public Defender in the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office from 1991 to 1995. Birotte graduated from Tufts University in 1987 and Pepperdine University School of Law 1991.

David A. Capp: Nominee for the Northern District of Indiana

David Capp has been an Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana for twenty-four years, serving as Interim United States Attorney since 2007. Capp previously served as interim United States Attorney in 1993 and from 1999 to 2001. Prior to his federal service, he worked as an associate at Cohen and Thiros from 1977 to 1985, becoming a partner in 1984. Capp graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1972 and the Valparaiso University School of Law in 1977.

Richard S. Hartunian: Nominee for the Northern District of New York

Richard Hartunian has been an Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of New York since 1997. From 1990 to 1997, Hartunian worked both as an Assistant District Attorney for the Office of the District Attorney in Albany County, New York, and as a partner at Hartunian and Clark. Prior to that, he was an associate attorney at Devine, Piedmont and Rutnik. Hartunian graduated from Georgetown University in 1983 and the Albany Law School of Union University in 1986.

William J. Hochul, Jr.: Nominee for the Western District of New York

William Hochul, Jr. has been an Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of New York for 18 years, serving as Chief of the National Security Division since 2007 and Chief of the Anti-Terrorism Unit from 2002 to 2007. From 1981 to 1991, he was an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Columbia. Prior to that, Hochul was an associate at Finley, Kumble, Wagner, Heine, Underberg, Manley & Casey from 1985 to 1987. Following law school, he was a law clerk for the Honorable James F. Couch, Jr., of the Maryland Court of Appeals from 1984 to 1985. Hochul graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1981 and the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1984.

Ronald C. Machen, Jr.: Nominee for the District of Columbia

Ronald Machen is a partner at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, where he has worked since 2001. From 1997 to 2001, Machen served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Prior to that, Machen was a law clerk for the Honorable Damon J. Keith of the United States Court of Appeals, for the Sixth Circuit, from 1995 to 1996. Immediately following law school, he was an associate at Wilmer, Cutler and Pickering from 1994 to 1995. Machen graduated from Stanford University in 1991 and Harvard Law School in 1994.

Anne M. Tompkins: Nominee for the Western District of North Carolina

Anne Tompkins is a partner at Alston & Bird, LLP, where she has worked since 2005. From 2000 to 2005, she was an Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, serving as Deputy Criminal Chief from 2002 to 2004 and on detail in the Regime Crimes Liason Office in Baghdad, Iraq, from 2004 to 2005. Tompkins graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1984, the Institute of Government at the University of North Carolina in 1989 and the University of North Carolina School of Law in 1992.

Sally Quillian Yates: Nominee for the Northern District of Georgia

Sally Yates is the Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, where she has worked since 1989. She served in that office as an Assistant United States Attorney from 1989 to 1994, Chief of the Fraud and Public Corruption Unit from 1994 to 2002, and First Assistant United States Attorney from 2002 to 2009, and had a previous stint as Acting United States Attorney in 2004. From 1986 to 1989, she was an associate at King & Spalding. Yates graduated from the University of Georgia in 1982 and the University of Georgia School of Law in 1986.