On January 12, 2023, Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed NAFUSA member Robert K. Hur, a partner in the Washington D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, to lead an investigation into the handling of classified documents by President Biden. The appointment as Special Counsel followed information revealed by the White House that documents from Mr. Biden’s time as Vice President in the Obama Administration were found in two locations.
Mr. Hur, a former federal prosecutor and senior Justice Department official, was the United States Attorney in Maryland under the Trump administration from 2018 to 2021. He graduated from Stanford and Harvard and clerked for then Chief Justice William J. Rehnquist, following law school. His experience in the Department of Justice includes working as the Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General under Rod Rosenstein, the Deputy Attorney General under Donald Trump, and before that as special assistant
to Christopher Wray who was then leading the DOJ’s Criminal Division.
In remarks delivered on the appointment of Robert Hur as Special Counsel, Attorney General Merrick praised Mr. Hur’s long and distinguished career as a prosecutor. He expressed confidence in Mr. Hur’s ability to carry out his responsibility “in an even-handed and urgent manner” and promised to ensure that he receives all the resources he needs to conduct his work.
This year’s conference will be held March 29-31 at the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay, California, approximately 25 miles south of San Francisco. The conference will open on Wednesday evening, March 29th with a Welcome Reception, generously sponsored again this year by Guidepost Solutions.
As described in the January NAFUSA Newsletter, we are in the process of confirming appearances by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, DEA Administrator Anne Milgram, and several other DOJ officials. The program will include many interesting and timely presentations including a panel of experts on the history of domestic terrorism, reports from EOUSA and the AGAC on current issues within the DOJ, and a discussion of recent cases of note by Supreme Court expert Kannon Shanmugam. New York
Times Best Selling author and legal analyst Lis Wiehl will talk about her recent book with former NAFUSA president Paul Coggins. Other speakers include Chief Compliance Officers and Ethics Officers from major corporations, as well as an attorney from the DOJ Fraud Section’s Corporate Enforcement, Compliance and Policy Unit, to discuss emerging trends in corporate compliance.
To register for the conference:Please click on the link below. When registering please remember to include a current email where you wish to receive conference materials including CLE materials and attendee information. Conference materials will be sent electronically.
To register for the hotel: Click on the link below to reserve a room at the block rate reserved for NAFUSA conference attendees at the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay, the conference site. Members who plan to attend should strongly consider registering and booking early to assure a room.
Unfortunately all golf spots are now reserved. If you would like to be added to the waitlist please contact Lisa Rafferty (lisarafferty27@gmail.com). Golf will be available starting at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday the 29th at the Ritz Carlton Ocean Course and is limited to 28 players. To reserve your spot see the conference registration link.
Please watch the NAFUSA Newsletters and website for more information about the Half Moon Bay Conference.
For assistance, contact Lisa Rafferty, Deputy Director at lisarafferty27@gmail.com or 810.813.4867.
Planning for the 2023 NAFUSA Conference is well underway. This year’s conference will be held at the Ritz Carlton in beautiful Half Moon Bay, California, approximately 25 miles south of San Francisco, on March 29-31. Conference registration for members and guests will open around mid-January. The conference will begin, as has been the tradition, with an opening cocktail and dinner reception on Wednesday night, generously sponsored again this year by Guidepost Solutions.
As a preview to some of the planned presentations on the 2023 Conference program, we are in the process of confirming appearances by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, DEA Administrator Anne Milgram, and several other DOJ officials. The program will include many interesting and timely presentations including a panel of experts on the history of domestic terrorism, reports from EOUSA and the AGAC on current issues within the DOJ, and a discussion of recent cases of note by Supreme Court expert Kannon Shanmugam. New York Times Best Selling author and legal analyst Lis Wiehl will talk about her recent book. Other speakers include Chief Compliance Officers and Ethics Officers from major corporations, as well as an attorney from the DOJ Fraud Section’s Corporate Enforcement, Compliance and Policy Unit, to discuss emerging trends in corporate compliance.
Administrative and Registration details
NAFUSA members should receive an email in mid-January with more detailed 2023 conference information. There will be a link to registration materials for the conference and information about booking hotel rooms, including an option for booking a room at a block rate reserved for NAFUSA conference attendees at the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay, the conference site. Members who plan to attend should strongly consider registering and booking early to assure a room. Members are also reminded to include in their registration a current email where they wish to receive conference materials including CLE materials and attendee information. Conference materials will be sent electronically. Because of sharply increased conference costs and NAFUSA’s continued commitment to providing top quality programs and amenities at desirable locations, for the first time since the organization was established in the 1970’s the conference fee for members will increase to $575. However, the rate for senior members (over age 70 and no longer practicing law) will remain at $400 and the rate for spouses will remain at $300. Please watch your email for more information about the Half Moon Bay Conference.
NAFUSA’s mission is to promote, defend and further the integrity of the Offices of United States Attorneys. The organization has, since 1979, lived up to its mission, in part, by providing a forum through its annual conferences for continuing education and fostering professional relationships and the exchange of information. Even more, NAFUSA has been providing the opportunity to socialize and network with fellow members at its conferences in great locations and at a reasonable price. To help
continue with this tradition, and to give NAFUSA members the opportunity to reaffirm their support of the organization, the Board of Directors has created a new level of membership beginning in 2023 – Sustaining Member. The new membership level, which consists of an annual fee of $500 in addition to membership dues, will be named after former Executive Director Rich Rossman. Please consider becoming a Sustaining Member when you register for the 2023 NAFUSA Conference in Half Moon Bay or when you make your 2023 dues payment.
NAFUSA members Jay Stephens and George Terwilliger presented the flag flown over the Department of Justice in honor of Earl Silbert to his family members. The longtime NAFUSA member and president 1985-1986 passed away on September 6, 2022. The flag was presented to Earl’s wife, Pat, and his daughter, Leslie, on Friday, December 2, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
NAFUSA Board of Directors Member, Deborah Gilg passed away on November 16, 2022, after a short but courageous battle with colon cancer. She was 70.
Deborah was appointed by President Obama in 2009 as the United States Attorney for
Nebraska, the first woman to hold this position, and served until her retirement from the
Department of Justice in 2017. During her tenure she served on numerous Committees under Attorneys General Eric Holder and Loretta Lynch, including serving as Chair of the Federal Task Force on Violence Against Native American Women. She was instrumental in that role in securing federal resources for the investigation and prosecution of domestic violence and sexual assault cases against Native American Women.
After leaving the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Deborah became even more active in community engagement in her home state of Nebraska. She founded the organization Fearless, Fierce, and Forward to provide women with empowerment training in the areas of gender pay parity, negotiation skills, surviving domestic violence and professional development. She also served in leadership positions with the Nebraska Jail Standards Board for 24 years, having been appointed by 5 different governors. She joined the adjunct faculty at the University of Nebraska College of Law, her alma mater, and later served as adjunct faculty at the Sandra Day O’Conner College of Law at Arizona State University.
Among her many honors and awards were the Nebraska Bar Foundation’s Outstanding Public Service Award and the Nebraska Women’s Bar Association’s Outstanding Contribution to Women in the Law Award. She was a lifetime Nebraska Bar Foundation Fellow and a member of the Nebraska, Iowa, and Colorado Bar Associations. She loved to travel, was a talented pianist and devoted mother and grandmother.
According to colleague and former NAFUSA Board member Barry Grissom, in addition to these achievements, Deborah was a backup singer to Kenny Rogers and participated in the Alaska Iditarod on several occasions, riding in portions of the race. She was also the County Coroner for Keich County, Nebraska.
He added that Deborah, who was a strong supporter of breaking glass ceilings, on one occasion, when the selection of a new leader was being discussed at a Midwest HIDTA meeting, pointed out, “I don’t play golf with you, I’m not in the good ole boy club, but if you want someone to lead who has experience, I’m your person.” At that point the U.S. Attorney from Kansas responded, “If that’s a motion, I second it.” The motion passed.
Deborah is survived by her husband of 46 years, Dan; her daughters Colleen and Nicole; her son Greg; and six grandchildren. If you would like to offer condolences, Dan can be reached at gilgd0415@gmail.com or 16607 Harney Street, Omaha NB 68118.
In keeping with NAFUSA tradition, a flag will be flown over the Department of Justice in her honor.
The National Hockey League’s Boston Bruins have hired a law firm to review their player-vetting process in the wake of intense backlash after signing hockey prospect Mitchell Miller. Former Attorney General and NAFUSA member Loretta Lynch, a partner at Paul, Weiss, will lead a team of lawyers from that firm conducting an independent review of how the Bruins vet players. A spokesperson for the team said the Bruins willfully cooperate with the review and will publicly disclose the results.
Ms. Lynch was the 83rd Attorney General of the United States serving from 2015 to 2017. She also served as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York 1999-2002 and 2010-2015.
Former NAFUSA member Charles (“Chuck”) W. Larson, Sr. passed away on Thursday November 3, 2022. He was 87. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Ellen Larson and two children, Charles W. Larson, Jr. and Carrie Larson Graham.
Chuck was appointed by President Ronald Reagan and reappointed by President George H.W. Bush to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa from 1986 to 1993. In 2001, President George W. Bush reappointed him to the U.S. Attorney position where he served until his retirement in 2006. In 2004 he took a leave of absence from this position to serve as Senior Justice Advisor to the U.S.
Ambassador to Iraq, at the United States Embassy in Baghdad. Chuck was a graduate of the United States Army War College and the United States Army Command and General Staff College. He served in the United States Army Reserve for 33 years.
Chuck earned his juris doctor degree from the University of Iowa College of Law and his Bachelor of Science Degree from Kansas State University. A private service with military honors was held on Friday, November 11, in his hometown of Princeton, Illinois. In keeping with NAFUSA tradition, a flag was flown over the Department of Justice in his honor.
The NAFUSA Board of Directors and Officers met in Austin, Texas on Saturday, October 29, 2022, for its fall meeting. The meeting was hosted by the law firm of Holland and Knight in their beautiful offices overlooking the Colorado River. The firm generously provided breakfast and the services of two of their talented staff members for technical and administrative support. The Board meeting was extremely productive, as well as a great opportunity for Board members to interact and exchange ideas.
NAFUSA President Chuck Stevens welcomed the Board members and guests who attended the meeting in Austin, at their own expense, as well as the members who were able to join via zoom. President Stevens led a discussion of the program for the 2023 annual conference in Half Moon Bay next March. Board members who have volunteered to moderate panels of invited speakers at the conference presented overviews of their topics and proposed speakers. In addition to what promises to be an outstanding conference program, and the beautiful hotel accommodations and golf facilities at Half Moon Bay, the 2023 conference will provide many social opportunities to mix and mingle with fellow NAFUSA members and guests.
Board members were happy to learn that NAFUSA sponsor Guidepost Solutions will again sponsor the very popular Wednesday Night Welcome Reception. As always, NAFUSA relies on the generous support of sponsors for its annual conferences. The Board discussed the importance of recruiting and maintaining sponsorships and were provided with the list of 2023 conference sponsors to date.
New Executive Director Wendy Goggin presented a Conflict-of-Interest Policy for NAFUSA, which was adopted by the Board. She also went over financial reports including an analysis of 2022 conference expenses and income, current statements of NAFUSA’s Financial Position and Statement of Activity, and year to date operating budget. Treasurer Tim Purdon discussed NAFUSA’s financial position going forward and presented the recommendations of the newly formed Finance Committee, which he chairs.
Finally, President-elect John Richter led a discussion of logistics for the 2024 Conference. Board members overwhelmingly supported returning the Conference to its traditional fall time frame. Planning for the 2024 Conference, to be held in the fall of 2024, is underway.
Thanks to Board member and proud Austin resident, Johnny Sutton, for acting as tour guide and entertainment for the Board’s stay in Austin. The meeting and time spent in Austin were productive and fun and a great opportunity to interact with fellow board members.
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