The Western District of Wisconsin received a new U.S. Attorney this week, the Associated Press reported.

U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb swore in on Tuesday John Vaudreuil as the U.S. Attorney for the Madison-based district. The Senate confirmed him on Thursday.

He succeeds Erik C. Peterson, who stepped down as U.S. Attorney in June 2009. Vaudreuil started at the U.S. Attorney’s office in 1980 as an Assistant U.S. Attorney.

The Senate confirmed six U.S. Attorneys by voice vote Thursday night.

They are:

Stephen Wigginton (Weilmuenster & Wigginton PC)

- Stephen R. Wigginton (Southern District of Illinois): President Barack Obama tapped the partner and co-owner of the Weilmuenster & Wigginton PC law firm in Belleville, Ill., on April 14 to replace George W. Bush holdover A. Courtney Cox, who headed the Fairview Heights, Ill.-based office since November 2007. Read more about Wigginton here.

- Edward L. Stanton III (Western District of Tennessee): The president nominated the Federal Express senior counsel on April 14 to succeed David Kustoff, who stepped down as U.S. Attorney in 2008. Read more about Stanton here.

Tim Purdon (Vogel Law Firm)

- Tim Purdon (North Dakota): The partner at the Vogel Law Firm in Bismarck, N.D., would succeed Drew Wrigley, who stepped down as U.S. Attorney in Sept. 2009. Obama nominated him on Feb. 4. The president has been criticized for tapping Purdon, who was on the executive committee of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party and has no prosecutorial experience. Read more about Purdon here.

John Walsh (Hill & Robbins)

- John F. Walsh (Colorado): The partner at Hill & Robbins PC will succeed Troy Eid, who resigned as U.S. Attorney last year. President Barack Obama nominated Walsh on April 14. Read more about him here.

Stephanie Villafuerte, the deputy chief of staff to Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter (D) for community outreach, was Obama’s first nominee for the Colorado post. But she withdrew her nomination after Republicans alleged she asked employees of the Denver district attorney’s office to access a restricted government database in connection with the 2006 gubernatorial campaign.

- John Vaudreuil (Western District of Wisconsin): Assistant U.S. Attorney in the office since 1980 will succeed Erik C. Peterson, who stepped down as U.S. Attorney in June 2009. Obama tapped Vaudreuil on May 27. Read more about him here.

- William Ihlenfeld II (Northern District of West Virginia): The partner at Ihlenfeld Law Office, PLLC, in Wheeling, W.Va., will replace acting U.S. Attorney Betsy Jividen. She has led the office since former U.S. Attorney Sharon L. Potter stepped down in September 2009. The president nominated Ihlenfeld on May 27. Read more about Ihlenfeld here.

UPDATE:

The Senate also confirmed three other U.S. Attorneys by voice vote Thursday night.

They are:

- Melinda Haag (Northern District of California): The partner at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe will replace George W. Bush U.S. Attorney Joseph Russoniello. President Barack Obama nominated her on March 25. Read more about her here.

Barry R. Grissom (Law Office of Barry R. Grissom)

- Barry R. Grissom (Kansas): The Overland Park, Kan., lawyer will succeed Eric Melgren, who stepped down as U.S. Attorney in 2008. Obama tapped him on April 28. Read more about him here.

David Hickton (Burns, White and Hickton)

– David J. Hickton (Western District of Pennsylvania): The founding member of Burns, White & Hickton LLC will succeed Mary Beth Buchanan, who stepped down as U.S. Attorney in November 2009 to run for the House. But she didn’t win the Republican nomination in the race for the Western Pennsylvania seat held by Democratic Rep. Jason Altmire. Obama nominated Hickton on May 20. Read more about him here.

The Senate has now confirmed 66 U.S. Attorneys.  The body has yet to consider another 8 would-be U.S. Attorneys nominated by Obama. There are 93 U.S. Attorney posts.

The Senate Judiciary Committee endorsed by voice vote three U.S. Attorney nominees at its meeting Thursday.

They are:

John Walsh (Hill & Robbins)

- John F. Walsh (Colorado): The partner at Hill & Robbins PC would succeed Troy Eid, who resigned as U.S. Attorney last year. President Barack Obama nominated Walsh on April 14. Read more about him here.

Stephanie Villafuerte, the deputy chief of staff to Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter (D) for community outreach, was Obama’s first nominee for the Colorado post. But she withdrew her nomination after Republicans alleged she asked employees of the Denver district attorney’s office to access a restricted government database in connection with the 2006 gubernatorial campaign.

- John Vaudreuil (Western District of Wisconsin): Assistant U.S. Attorney in the office since 1980 would succeed Erik C. Peterson, who stepped down as U.S. Attorney in June 2009. Obama tapped Vaudreuil on May 27. Read more about him here.

- William Ihlenfeld II (Northern District of West Virginia): The partner at Ihlenfeld Law Office, PLLC, in Wheeling, W.Va., would replace acting U.S. Attorney Betsy Jividen. She has led the office since former U.S. Attorney Sharon L. Potter stepped down in September 2009. The president nominated Ihlenfeld on May 27. Read more about Ihlenfeld here.

The committee has now approved 63 of Obama’s U.S. Attorney nominees, 57 of whom have won Senate confirmation. The panel has yet to schedule votes for another 11 would-be U.S. Attorneys. There are 93 U.S. Attorney posts.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is slated to consider two U.S. Attorney nominees at its meeting next Thursday.

They are:

John Walsh (Hill & Robbins)

- John F. Walsh (Colorado): The partner at Hill & Robbins PC would succeed Troy Eid, who resigned as U.S. Attorney last year. President Barack Obama nominated Walsh on April 14. Read more about him here.

Stephanie Villafuerte, the deputy chief of staff to Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter (D) for community outreach, was Obama’s first nominee for the Colorado post. But she withdrew her nomination after coming under fire for reportedly asking employees of the Denver district attorney’s office to access a restricted government database in connection with the 2006 gubernatorial campaign.

- John Vaudreuil (Western District of Wisconsin): Assistant U.S. Attorney in the office since 1980 would succeed Erik C. Peterson, who stepped down as U.S. Attorney in June 2009. Obama tapped Vaudreuil on May 27. Read more about him here.

The committee has yet to schedule votes for another 12 would-be U.S. Attorneys. The panel has approved 60 of Obama’s U.S. Attorney nominees, 57 of whom have won Senate confirmation. There are 93 U.S. Attorney posts.

John W. Vaudreuil (University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Wisconsin School of Law) is nominated to be U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin. He would replace Erik C. Peterson, who served as the district’s U.S. Attorney from June 2006 to June 2009 and left to join the Wisconsin Department of Justice as a prosecutor in the criminal litigation unit. The district’s current acting U.S. Attorney is Steve Sinnott.

His vitals:

• Born in Rice Lake, Wis., in 1954.
• Has been an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the district since January 1980. Has served as criminal division chief since 2002. Concurrently served as senior litigation counsel from 1992 to 2002.
• Was a lecturer at the University of Wisconsin School of Law in Madison in 1987 and from 1990 to 2002.
• Has tried approximately 80 trials to verdict, serving as sole counsel on approximately 70 of those cases.

Click here for his full Senate Judiciary Committee questionnaire.

UPDATE: On his Senate Judiciary financial disclosure Vaudreuil reported assets valued at $1 million, mostly from real estate, and $134,100 in liabilities, from a mortgage, for a net worth of $898,200.

On his Office of Government Ethics financial disclosure Vaudreuil reported no liabilities.

Pablo Carranza

Although he only has four years experience as a lawyer under his belt, Pablo Carranza shoots high. The 30-year-old recently applied to be U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin. Alas, his dreams were swiftly crushed.

“I didn’t even get an interview,” Carranza told us in a telephone interview. “I was rejected right away.”

But that’s OK with Carranza. “I’ll probably try it again,” he said. “From the get-go, I knew it was a long shot.”

Carranza, a 2005 graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School and a criminal defense lawyer, heads the Monona, Wisc.,-based Carranza Law Group. The next youngest applicant for the Western District of Wisconsin had, Pablo said, “like, fifteen more years of experience.”

In throwing his hat into the ring, the young attorney didn’t consult the old wise men and women in Wisconsin’s tight legal community. But next time, he will. And he’ll also boast a wider range of courtroom experience. “I have thought about it, taking steps to make myself more attractive in the future,” Carranza told us.

Carranza also has worked occasionally on federal criminal cases in Wisconsin as a court-appointed public defender. He said he wants to try more of those cases. “I think one quality that a U.S. Attorney’s office would seek out is an attorney’s ability to effectively try a case. I’m looking for more cases that would go to trial.”

Carranza said many U.S. Attorneys use the post to launch political careers. But that’s not his goal. “Probably not,” Carranza said, when asked if he aimed for higher office.

Wisconsin Sens. Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold, both Democrats, made two recommendations Monday for U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, The Associated Press reported Monday.  Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Vaudreuil and former Assistant Attorney General Eric J. Wilson were selected from a list of four finalists, The AP reported.

AUSA Vaudreuil runs the Madison-based district’s criminal division. Vaudreuil has lectured at the University of Wisconsin Law School Since 1987, teaching evidence and trial advocacy. A senior litigation counsel, he’s also taught evidence and trial skills to prosecutors in the United States, Albania and the Czech Republic since 1992.

Eric J. Wilson (Godfrey & Kahn)

Wilson is a member of the white collar counseling and defense practice group at the Godfrey & Kahn law firm in Madison. Before joining Godfrey & Kahn, Wilson was an Assistant Attorney General at the Wisconsin Department of Justice, with dual responsibilities as a criminal prosecutor and chief antitrust attorney for the state of Wisconsin.

The other two finalists for the position — as determined by a Wisconsin nominating commission — were Michael Leffel, a partner with Foley & Lardner in Madison, and Frank D. Remington, an Assistant Attorney General at the Wisconsin Department of Justice.  Madison attorney Michael Bauer and Monona attorney Pablo Carranza also applied to fill the position but were not selected by the commission.

Erik C. Peterson, who had been the U.S. Attorney since 2006, resigned June 7 to join the Wisconsin Department of Justice as a prosecutor in the criminal litigation unit. Stephen P. Sinnott was appointed acting United States Attorney on June 8.

A Wisconsin nominating commission submitted four finalists for Western District U.S. Attorney today to Democratic Sens. Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold, according to a news release.

The senators will then recommend candidates who President Obama should consider to replace U.S. Attorney Erik Peterson.

The commission’s finalists are:

-John Vaudreuil. He is an Assistant United States Attorney in charge of the Criminal Division for the Western District of Wisconsin. Since 1987, Vaudreuil has been a lecturer at the University of Wisconsin Law School, teaching evidence and trial advocacy. Since 1992, he has been a lecturer for the United States, teaching evidence and trial skills to prosecutors in the United States, Albania and the Czech Republic. In 1992, he was designated as Senior Litigation Counsel by the Department of Justice. (Biography from University of Wisconsin Law School)

Michael Leffel (Foley & Lardner)

-Michael Leffel. He is a partner with Foley & Lardner in Madison, and is a member of the firm’s general commercial litigation, consumer financial services, and appellate practices. Prior to joining Foley & Lardner, Leffel worked for Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering in Washington, D.C., where his practice focused on commercial litigation. Leffel also served as a law clerk for Judge Karen Nelson Moore, United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. (Biography from Foley & Lardner)

-Frank D. Remington. He is an Assistant Attorney General at the Wisconsin Department of Justice.  Prior to joining the Wisconsin Department of Justice in 1988, Remington clerked with the Wisconsin Supreme Court and spent two years in private practice. He currently prosecutes Medicaid fraud and health care crimes for the Wisconsin DOJ.  Remington is also active in the State Bar of Wisconsin, currently serving on the Board of Governors. (Biography from Wisconsin DOJ)

Eric J. Wilson (Godfrey & Kahn)

-Eric J. Wilson. He is an attorney in the litigation department and a member of the white collar counseling and defense practice group at the Godfrey & Kahn law firm in Madison. Prior to joining Godfrey & Kahn, he was an Assistant Attorney General at the Wisconsin Department of Justice, with dual responsibilities as a criminal prosecutor and chief antitrust attorney for the state of Wisconsin. (Biography from Godfrey & Kahn)

You can read our previous report on the recommendations made by Kohl and Feingold for Wisconsin’s Eastern District here.