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Administrative Law

Journal

Seattle University Law Review

U.S. Attorney

Articles 1 - 3 of 3

Full-Text Articles in Law

The U.S. Attorney Firings Of 2006: Main Justice's Centralization Efforts In Historical Context, James Eisenstein Jan 2007

The U.S. Attorney Firings Of 2006: Main Justice's Centralization Efforts In Historical Context, James Eisenstein

Seattle University Law Review

The media, the political establishment, and the federal criminal jus-community's focus on the compelling story of the firings is hardly surprising. The details emerged over a period of many months through leaks, internal Department of Justice (DOJ) emails, press releases, interviews, and dramatic congressional testimony. The media's focus on the firings obscured their deeper significance with regard to the nature of the relations between the DOJ and its ninety-three United States Attorneys' Offices (USAOs). This Article addresses this omission by looking at the consequences of these events for the balance struck between central control by Main Justice in Washington and …


Train Wreck At The Justice Department: An Eyewitness Account, John Mckay Jan 2007

Train Wreck At The Justice Department: An Eyewitness Account, John Mckay

Seattle University Law Review

In a series of early morning phone calls on December 7, 2006, seven United States Attorneys were ordered to resign. Despite initial denials, it would later be revealed that two other U.S. Attorneys had also been ordered to submit their resignations, bringing the total number to nine. Each was given no explanation for the dismissal and most were led to believe that they alone were being dismissed, raising the specter of unstated wrongdoing and encouraging silent departures. Those dismissed uniformly cited the maxim that they "served at the pleasure of the President" and most sought to avoid publicly disputing the …


The Constitutional And Statutory Framework Organizing The Office Of The United States Attorney, Christian M. Halliburton Jan 2007

The Constitutional And Statutory Framework Organizing The Office Of The United States Attorney, Christian M. Halliburton

Seattle University Law Review

The U.S. Attorney position is one characterized by a broad delegation of the duty to enforce the laws of the United States, and to appear on behalf of the government in any civil action involving the United States or its revenues. This delegation of duties necessarily entails the exercise of discretion, and that exercise of discretion necessarily depends on the United States Attorneys' independence of judgment. The U.S. Attorney can thus be described as an agent with multiple principles, or a servant of two masters: the U.S. Attorneys clearly serve at the "pleasure" of the President, must be responsive to …