Barbara McQuade (DOJ)

Eastern District of Michigan U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade made several changes to her office’s leadership, The Detroit News reported today.

Those getting promotions are:

• Jennifer Gorland
  • New post: First Assistant U.S. Attorney
  • Old post: General crimes unit chief
  • Replaces: Terrence Berg
    
• Stephanie Dawkins Davis
  • New post: Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney
  • Old post: Trial attorney
  • Replaces: Blondell Morey
    
• Daniel Lemisch
  • New post: Criminal division chief
  • Old post: Trial attorney
  • Replaces: Eric Straus

“These staffing changes will help the office carry out our responsibilities to serve the public,” McQuade said in a statement to the newspaper.

The U.S. Attorney also said Elizabeth Larin will stay on as the office’s civil division chief and Patricia Gaedeke will continue serving as the appellate division chief, according to The Detroit News.

McQuade, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Detroit-based office, took office last month. Her office will prosecute suspected al-Qaeda associate Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who allegedly tried to blow up a Detroit-bound airliner on Christmas Day. She succeeded Stephen J. Murphy, who resigned as U.S. Attorney in 2008.

Over the holiday week, five U.S. Attorneys were sworn in. They are:

• James L. Santelle (Eastern District of Wisconsin): The former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin was sworn in this morning. He was confirmed Dec. 24. Santelle replaces Bush appointee Steven Biskupic. Biskupic was appointed U.S. Attorney in May 2002. In 2007, Biskupic and his office came under review by congressional investigators looking into the dismissal of U.S. Attorneys. He resigned in January 2009 to join the Milwaukee law firm of Michael Best & Friedrich as a litigator.

• Beth Phillips (Western District of Missouri): The former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri was sworn in Dec. 31. She was confirmed Dec. 24. Phillips replaces Bush appointee John Wood. Wood headed the office from 2007 to 2009 before resigning in February to join the D.C. office of a leading Wall Street law firm as a partner.

• Mike Cotter (District of Montana): The private practice attorney was sworn in Dec. 30. He was confirmed Dec. 24. Cotter replaces controversial Bush appointee William Mercer, who had held the post since 2001. Mercer wore two hats at DOJ, serving as U.S. Attorney and as Acting Associate Attorney General from September 2006 to June 2007. At DOJ headquarters, he assisted in the politicized firings of other U.S. Attorneys, congressional investigators found. A federal judge and leading Democrats in Montana had called for his resignation.

• Sanford Coats (Western District of Oklahoma): The former Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Western District of Oklahoma was sworn in Dec. 30. He was confirmed Dec. 24. Coats replaces John C. Richter, who was named to head the office on an interim basis in 2005 and confirmed by the Senate in 2006. Richter resigned in August to teach law at the University of Oklahoma College of Law.

• Barbara McQuade (Eastern District of Michigan): The former Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Michigan was sworn in today. She was confirmed Dec. 24. McQuade replaces Stephen J. Murphy who became U.S. Attorney in 2006. In 2008 he became a federal judge in the Eastern District of Michigan.

In a wrap-up session just before leaving town until next year,  the Senate today confirmed seven U.S. Attorneys by voice vote.

They are:

Richard Callahan (Gov)

– Richard Callahan (Eastern District of Missouri): The state circuit judge in Missouri succeeds Catherine L. Hanaway, who resigned earlier this year. He was nominated for the post in October. Read more about Callahan here.

– Sanford Coats (Western District of Oklahoma): Coats, who been an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the western Oklahoma office, succeeds John Richter, who stepped down in August. Coats was nominated on Sept. 30. Read more about Coats here.

– Michael Cotter (Montana): The Helena, Mont., lawyer replaces Bill Mercer, who is a holdover from the George W. Bush administration. Obama nominated Cotter for U.S. Attorney on Sept. 25, after the live-in girlfriend of Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) withdrew from consideration. As the state’s senior Democratic senator, Baucus had recommended three candidates to the White House. Read more about Cotter here.

– Christopher Crofts (Wyoming): The counsel to Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal (D) replaces Bush holdover Kelly Rankin. He was nominated on Nov. 30. Read more about Crofts here.

Barbara L. McQuade (ICLE)

– Barbara McQuade (Eastern District of Michigan): The Eastern District of Michigan Assistant U.S. Attorney succeeds Stephen J. Murphy, who resigned in 2008. She was nominated on Nov. 30. Read more about her here.

James L. Santelle (Wisconsin Law Journal)

– James Santelle (Eastern District of Wisconsin): Santelle, who has been an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District office, succeeds Steven Biskupic, who stepped down as U.S. Attorney in January. Obama tapped Santelle for the post on Nov. 30. Read more about Santelle here.

– Mary Elizabeth Phillips (Western District of Missouri): Phillips, who was nominated Sept. 30, succeeds John Wood, who resigned in February. Read more about Phillips here.

The Senate has now confirmed 31 U.S. Attorneys. The Senate Judiciary Committee has yet to schedule votes votes for another 10 would-be U.S. Attorneys, including the nominees Obama tapped today and last Tuesday. One of Obama’s nominees, Stephanie Villafuerte of Colorado, withdrew from consideration two weeks ago.

Barbara L. McQuade (ICLE).

Barbara L. McQuade (University of Michigan, University of Michigan Law School) is nominated to replace  Stephen J. Murphy as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. He served from 2006 to 2008 before resigning to become a federal judge in the district.

Her vitals:

• Born in Detroit, Mich., in 1964.
• Has been Assistant U.S. Attorney in the district since 1998.  Also has served as the deputy chief of the office’s national security unit since 2005.
• Was a law professor at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law from 2003 to 2009.
• Worked as an associate attorney at Butzel Long, P.C. in Detroit from 1993 to 1998.
• Clerked for the Hon. Bernard A. Friedman in the Eastern District of Michigan from 1991 to 1993.
• Worked as a summer associate at Kirkland & Ellis LLP in Chicago in 1990.
• Interned in the antitrust division at Justice Department headquarters during the summer of 1990.
• Was a summer associate at Clark, Klein & Beaumont, P.C. in Detroit in 1989.
• Worked as a sports writer and copy editor at the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle from 1987 to 1988.
• Has tried 12 cases to verdict. Served as sole counsel on 10 of those cases, chief counsel on one and co-counsel on another.

Click here for her full Senate Judiciary Committee questionnaire.

UPDATE: On her Senate Judiciary financial disclosure McQuade reported assets of $1.5 million (mostly from her three properties valued at a combined $706,000). However, McQuade still owes $175,300 on her personal residence. She has a net worth of $1.3 million.

On her Office of Government Ethics disclosure she reports a $5,000 salary from her job at the  University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.

President Obama nominated U.S. Attorneys for Wyoming, the Eastern District of Wisconsin, the Eastern District of North Carolina and the Eastern District of Michigan today. They are:

• Christopher A. Crofts (Wyoming): Gov. David Freudenthal’s legal counsel since 2006 previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for 16 years. He would replace Bush holdover Kelly Rankin, who has headed the office since 2008.

• 

  James L. Santelle (Wisconsin Law Journal).

  James L. Santelle (Eastern District of Wisconsin):  The Assistant U.S. Attorney has served in his current role since 1985. While working in the office he simultaneously has had stints as  principal deputy director for the Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys, civil division chief for the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Western District of Michigan and a Justice Department attaché. He would replace Steven Biskupic who was appointed U.S. Attorney by Bush in May 2002. In 2007, Biskupic and his office came under review by congressional investigators looking into the dismissal of U.S. Attorneys. He resigned in January to join the Milwaukee law firm of Michael Best & Friedrich as a litigator.

• 

  Thomas G. Walker (Alston & Bird)

  Thomas G. Walker (Eastern District of North Carolina): The partner at Alston & Bird, LLP has been with the firm since 2003. He previously served as special counsel to North Carolina attorney general Roy A. Cooper, III,  an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina and an assistant district attorney for Mecklenburg County, N.C. Walker would replace Bush holdover George E. B. Holding. Holding is overseeing federal probes of two prominent Democrats: Former Gov. Mike Easley and two-time presidential candidate, ex-Sen. John Edwards.

• 

  Barbara L. McQuade (ICLE).

  Barbara L. McQuade (Eastern District of Michigan): The Assistant U.S. Attorney has served in her role for 11 years. Simultaneously she has served as deputy chief of the national security unit since 2005. McQuade previously was an associate at Butzel Long, P.C. She would replace Stephen J. Murphy who became U.S. Attorney in 2006. In 2008 he became a federal judge in the Eastern District of Michigan.

Obama has now made a total of 34 U.S. Attorney nominations. The full Senate has considered 24 of those nominees and they were all confirmed by unanimous consent.

Ryan Reilly contributed to this report.