Catherine Hanaway Named to NAFUSA Board

Posted on by

In November, 2017, Greg Scott stepped down from the NAFUSA board of directors as a result of his appointment by President Trump to return to his position as United States Attorney for the Eastern District of California, where he had previously served from 2003 to 2009. The NAFUSA Board of Directors has unanimously selected Catherine Hanaway to fill Greg’s vacancy of the board in the class of 2018. Catherine served as the United States Attorney for the ED of Missouri from 2005-2009. She is currently a partner at Husch Blackwell LLP in St, Louis.

On December 13, NAFUSA board member Jenny Durkan advised that her new job as Mayor of the City of Seattle requires her to step down from her board position in the class of 2019. President Hal Hardin will call a meeting of the nominating committee to make a recommendation to the board of a successor to replace Jenny. The vacancy must go to a NAFUSA member who has served in a Democratic administration.

2017 Fiske Fellows Named

Posted on by

As reported in Law Quadrangle, Notes From Michigan Law:

The 2017 Fiske Fellows had an opportunity to meet their benefactor, Bob Fiske, ’55, HLLD ’97, in Ann Arbor in April. Pictured with Fiske are Fellows (left to right) Andrew Sand, ’15, an assistant general counsel in the Office of the General Counsel, Federal Bureau of Investigation; Danielle Angeli, ’16, an assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, general crimes unit; Sommer Engels, ’16, an honors attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice’s environment and natural resources division, appellate section; and Matt Evans, ‘15, a trial attorney in the Department of Justice’s environment and natural resources division, environmental crimes section. The Fiske Fellowship Program encourages recent graduates to pursue positions as government lawyers. The Fellowship pays both college and law school debt for three years plus a stipend.

Bob served as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York (1976-1980) and is senior counsel at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP. This is Bob’s 16th year awarding the Fiske Fellows fellowships. He is a long time member of NAFUSA.

Doug Jones Elected in Alabama

Posted on by

Bob Miller for the New York Times

On Tuesday, December 12, 2017, NAFUSA member Doug Jones was elected to the United States Senate by the voters of the State of Alabama. Doug was in line to be NAFUSA’s president this year, but stepped down to run for the vacancy created when Jeff Sessions left the Senate to become the Attorney General. Doug won a close election over Roy Moore, who has yet to concede. It is unlikely, however, that there will be a recount as Doug’s victory was by more than 20,000 votes. Tuesday was also Doug and Louise’s 25th wedding anniversary. You can see them celebrating above.

See the New York Times profile of Doug: Doug Jones: A Lawyer in the Thick of Alabama’s Big Moments

On December 15, 2017, The Tennessean published an article Doug Jones, Hal  Hardin share a bond of friendship and justice  which discusses how Doug was in line to become president of NAFUSA but stepped down to run for the Senate. Hal Hardin, who took his place to become president of NAFUSA said “I’m so proud of Doug. He is a bridge builder, not a super-partisan person. Obviously it’s bridge builders that our nation needs right now- someone who can work with all kinds of people to find common ground, and work for the good of the country.”

Past NAFUSA Presidents Don Stern, Greg Vega and Rick Deane were joined by NAFUSA member Walter Holton in campaigning for Doug in Alabama this past weekend. Doug acknowledged the support of his U.S. Attorney friends in his acceptance speech.

Rick Deane, Don Stern, Doug Jones, Greg Vega and Walter Holton (December 12, 2017)

 

 

Doug Jones in the Headlines

Posted on by

NAFUSA member Doug Jones would have been the NAFUSA president today if he had not stepped down last fall to run for the United States Senate to fill the Jeff Sessions vacancy in Alabama. His race against Roy Moore has become the most important election in the country. It will be decided tomorrow. Doug has had a lot of support from a number of his colleagues at NAFUSA. Past NAFUSA Presidents Don Stern and Greg Vega were joined by NAFUSA member Walt Holton campaigning over the weekend in Alabama.

Don Stern, Doug Jones, Greg Vega and Walter Holton in Montgomery, Alabama 12/11/2017

AG Picks Jim Crowell as Acting Director of EOUSA

Posted on by

Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced on December 6, 2017, that James A. Crowell IV has been named Acting Director for the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA).

“Jim Crowell is an exceptional career prosecutor, who has served with distinction in a variety of leadership roles in the Department of Justice,” said Attorney General Sessions. “Jim has been an outstanding public servant and principled leader.  I am grateful he has agreed to take on this responsibility, and I look forward to continuing to work with him and the U.S. Attorneys as we continue our efforts to deter crime, promote the rule of law, and ensure equal justice for everyone.”

Prior to this appointment, James Crowell served as Chief of Staff to the Deputy Attorney General, Associate Deputy Attorney General, and Acting Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General.  Before joining the Deputy Attorney General’s office, Crowell was the Criminal Chief in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, where he began as an Assistant United States Attorney.  As Criminal Chief, Crowell oversaw the work of over 85 Assistant U.S. Attorneys involved in criminal prosecutions, including national security, violent crime, fraud and corruption, cybercrime, narcotics, asset forfeiture, and money laundering, as well as the Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council, Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, Project Safe Child, Project Safe Neighborhood, and related anti-crime programs. Crowell also served as the Chief of the Southern Division.

James Crowell is the recipient of numerous law enforcement awards, including all three of the Department of Defense’s highest civilian awards, recognizing his effort to combat contract fraud and corruption involving military contracts.

Hardin Presents Flag to Family of Ernie Williams

Posted on by

On November 9, 2017,  NAFUSA President Hal Hardin presented  the family of  Ernie Williams with a flag flown over the Department of Justice in his honor.  Ernie died in November, 2016. It is a tradition for NAFUSA to request the flying of an American flag which is presented to the families of former United States Attorneys during bereavement.  The presentation took place in the Williamson County Historic Courthouse with family and friends in attendance.  Williams  was appointed by President Bush and served as US Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee from 1991-1993.


Butler Snow to Host and Sponsor Opening Reception in Nashville

Posted on by

Butler Snow has signed on as NAFUSA’s first 2018 sponsor and will host the opening reception at the 2018 NAFUSA conference on Wednesday, October 24, at their spectacular offices in The Pinnacle at Symphony Place. The firm has three NAFUSA members as partners. Shown below, left to right, Jim Letten (ED of Louisiana 2001-2012), James B. Tucker (SD Mississippi 2001-2001), and Edward L. Stanton (WD Tennessee 2010-2017). The three former U.S. Attorneys are part of the firm’s growing investigations, white collar practice and commercial litigation group, serving three separate offices and three separate federal districts. Jim Letten is in the Butler Snow New Orleans office, James Tucker in the Jackson, Mississippi office, and Edward Stanton in the Memphis office.

About Butler Snow

Butler Snow LLP is a full-service law firm with more than 350 attorneys and advisors collaborating across a network of 24 offices in the United States, Europe and Asia.  Ranked as a leading firm for client relations and one of America’s Top 100 law firms in the BTI Power Rankings, Butler Snow is recognized as one of the nation’s top law firms for client service. The firm was recently ranked 48th out of 650 firms in the BTI Client Relationship Scorecard for understanding our client’s business, anticipating client’s needs, unprompted communication, legal skills, quality and keeping clients informed. For more information, visit www.butlersnow.com or follow Butler Snow on twitter @Butler_Snow.

Billy Kimbrough Passed Away in March

Posted on by

NAFUSA recently learned that William (“Billy”) Adams Kimbrough Jr passed away on  March 31, 2017, after a long illness.  Billy served as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama from 1977 to 1981, in the Carter Administration. He was an early and active member of NAFUSA until failing health kept him away. He was born in Selma, and was a long time resident of Mobile. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Kay, his daughter, Mary Elizabeth, both of Mobile, his son Will (Jessica), and granddaughters Emma and Sadie, all of Nashville, his sister Ann Kimbrough, of Spanish Fort, his brother Judge Hardie B. Kimbrough (Deanna) of Thomasville, nieces, nephews, and cousins. Billy graduated from the University of the South (Sewanee) where he played football. He graduated from the University of Alabama School of Law and then served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney during the Kennedy Administration. After his service as U.S. Attorney, he joined the firm of Turner Onderdonk from which he retired in 2012. Billy loved living in Mobile, practicing law, playing golf, and participating in the political and civic life of the city. He was elected to the Alabama Democratic Executive Committee in 1966, and volunteered in many political campaigns. He especially enjoyed his work with the Greater Gulf State Fair, serving as president in 1967.

As is our tradition, at the request of NAFUSA, on November 28, the Department of Justice flew an American flag over Main Justice in Billy’s honor and NAFUSA will present it in a commemorative box to his family as a token of the regard with which he was held by his colleagues.

November 28, 2017, in honor of Billy Kimbrough

Hardin Joins Prosecutors Panel at National Law Enforcement Summit on Crime

Posted on by

On October 18, 2017, Law Enforcement Leaders hosted the National Law Enforcement Summit on Crime in 2017, bringing together leading police chiefs, sheriffs, prosecutors, and attorneys general from across the country at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.

At the Summit, NAFUSA President Hal Hardin was asked to join a panel of prosecutors to discuss how to pursue cases without increasing unnecessary incarceration. Hardin, shown at the far right above, was joined (left to right) by Mark Holden, Senior Vice President and General Counsel for Koch Industries, Inc.; Cyrus Vance, New York County District Attorney; Michael Freeman, President of the National District Attorney’s Association and Hennepin County Attorney; and David La Bahn, President and CEO on the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys.