President Trump Appoints 8 New U.S. Attorney Candidates

Monday evening, President Donald Trump appointed eight new U.S. Attorney candidates for Senate confirmation, beginning the process of reforming the federal judiciary from the prosecutorial side.

The White House, in announcing the nominations, released the following statement:

The United States attorney serves as the chief Federal law enforcement officer within his or her federal judicial district. These candidates share the president’s vision for “Making America Safe Again.”

The nominees are:

• D. Michael Dunavant of Tennessee to serve as the United States attorney for the Western District of Tennessee.  D. Michael Dunavant has served as the district attorney general for the 25th Judicial District in Tennessee since 2006. In that role, he has handled or been involved in major prosecutions, covering the full range of criminal offenses, in a geographic region spanning five counties. From 1995 to 2006, Mr. Dunavant practiced law at the firm of Carney, Wilder & Dunavant. Mr. Dunavant received his B.A. from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 1992 and his J.D. from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1995.
• Louis V. Franklin, Sr., of Alabama to serve as the United States attorney for the Middle District of Alabama.  Louis V. Franklin has served the United States attorney’s office for the Middle District of Alabama for nearly 27 years, including as criminal chief for almost 16 years. Mr. Franklin served as an assistant United States attorney from 1990 to 1996 and from 1998 to 2001. From 1996 to 1998, Mr. Franklin was an associate at Sirote and Permutt, where he defended public and private organizations in state and federal civil litigation. Mr. Franklin began his career as a staff attorney at the Legal Services Corporation of Alabama from 1987 to 1990. Mr. Franklin received his B.A. from the University of Alabama in 1981, an M.S. from Auburn University at Montgomery in 1983 and his J.D. from Howard University School of Law in 1987.
• Justin E. Herdman of Ohio to serve as the United States attorney for the Northern District of Ohio. Justin E. Herdman is currently a partner in the investigations and white-collar defense practice group at Jones Day. Prior to joining Jones Day, Mr. Herdman served as an assistant United States attorney in Cleveland, Ohio. During this time, Mr. Herdman prosecuted several terrorism cases and complex national security matters. Mr. Herdman previously served as an assistant district attorney in New York City from 2001 to 2005 and as an associate at Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease, LLP. He is currently a judge advocate general in the United States Air Force Reserve. Mr. Herdman received his B.A. from Ohio University in 1996, an M.Phil. at the University of Glasgow in 1998 and his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 2001.
• John W. Huber of Utah to serve as the United States attorney for the District of Utah.  Since June 2015, John W. Huber has served as the United States attorney for the District of Utah. After serving the District of Utah for nearly two years as a presidential appointee, Attorney General Jefferson B. Sessions appointed Mr. Huber to continue his service in March 2017. Prior to being named United States attorney, Mr. Huber served as an assistant United States attorney for 13 years. Mr. Huber began his prosecutorial career in the Weber County (Utah) Attorney’s Office, and later served as the chief prosecutor for West Valley City, Utah, before joining the ranks of federal prosecutors in the United States attorney’s Office in 2002. Mr. Huber graduated with honors from the University of Utah in 1989, and later received his J.D. from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law in 1995.
• Brian J. Kuester of Oklahoma to serve as the United States attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma.  Brian J. Kuester currently serves as the district attorney for District 27 in Oklahoma, a position he has held since 2011. Mr. Kuester was elected in November 2010, and again in 2014. From 2008 to 2010, Mr. Kuester was a staff counsel for Allstate Insurance Company. Prior to that, Mr. Kuester served as an assistant district attorney for the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office. From 2000 to 2003, Mr. Kuester was an associate at Robinette & Osmond Law Firm. Prior to receiving his law degree, Mr. Kuester served on two separate police forces in Missouri, in Fulton and in Springfield. Mr. Kuester received his B.S. from Central Missouri State University in 1990 and his J.D. from the University of Tulsa School of Law in 2000.
• Jessie K. Liu of Virginia to serve as the United States attorney for the District of Columbia. Ms. Liu is currently deputy general counsel for the United States Department of the Treasury. She previously was a partner at the law firms of Morrison & Foerster LLP and Jenner & Block LLP, where her practice focused on litigation, investigations and compliance. In addition, she has served as an assistant United States attorney in the District of Columbia and in several senior positions in the United States Department of Justice, including as deputy assistant attorney general in the Civil Rights Division, counsel to the deputy attorney general and deputy chief of staff for the National Security Division. Ms. Liu clerked for then-Chief Judge Carolyn Dineen King of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in Houston, Texas. She received her A.B., summa cum laude, from Harvard University and her J.D. from Yale Law School.
• Richard W. Moore of Alabama to serve as the United States attorney for the Southern District of Alabama.  Richard W. Moore has served as the inspector general for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) since May 2003 when he was appointed by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the United States Senate. From May 2009 to March 2011, Mr. Moore was the chairman of the investigations committee for the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE). Prior to his appointment as inspector general, Mr. Moore served as an Assistant United States attorney for the Southern District of Alabama from 1985 to 2003. During that time, Mr. Moore prosecuted criminal cases involving white collar crimes, official corruption and general federal crimes. During his time at the United States attorney’s office, Mr. Moore also served as chief of the criminal division, as senior litigation counsel and as coordinator of the Anti-Terrorism Task Force. Earlier in his career, Mr. Moore was in private practice in Mobile, Alabama, and Cleveland, Ohio. From 1997 to 1998, Mr. Moore was an Atlantic Fellow in public policy at Oxford University in England. Mr. Moore received his B.S., summa cum laude, from Spring Hill College in 1974, and his J.D. from the Samford University Cumberland School of Law in 1977.
• Jay E. Town of Alabama to serve as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama. Jay Town currently serves as a senior prosecutor in the Madison County district attorney’s office, where he has been a prosecutor since 2005. Previously, Mr. Town served as a judge advocate general in the United States Marine Corps, where he served on active duty and as a reservist for 12 years. During his Marine Corps service, Mr. Town received several personal and unit decorations. From 2002 to 2005, Mr. Town served as an associate at McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter, LLP. Mr. Town received his B.A. from the University of Notre Dame in 1995 and his J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law in 1998.

Earlier this year, the president accepted the resignations of all of the U.S. attorneys appointed by his predecessor. A U.S. attorney serves “at the pleasure of the president” but his or her appointment must be confirmed by the Senate. The Senate Judiciary Committee is already taking up the president’s second round of federal judicial appointments. {eoa}