Current Job: Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Tennessee

What’s a typical day like for you? One of the nice things about being an AUSA, is that no two days are the same, and it is often difficult to predict what will happen on any given day.

On most days, I meet with various agents (i.e., FBI, Secret Service, ATF, DEA) to discuss the progress of ongoing investigations. During those meetings, we discuss strategy, address possible legal issues, and review any evidence the agents may have obtained since our last meeting. I also usually have one or more appearances in U.S. District Court per day. Those court appearances can range from a simple initial appearance to a lengthy suppression hearing.

When I am not in court or in meetings, I am usually doing some sort of legal writing, such as writing a response to a defense motion, writing an appellate brief, writing a grand jury indictment, writing a search warrant affidavit, etc. If I have a significant hearing in the near future, I also devote a portion of my day to preparing for that hearing. Depending on what day of the week it is, I also may spend several hours presenting a case to the grand jury. It is a great job, and the days fly by.

What is the best part of your new job? It is an honor and privilege to serve as an AUSA. I can honestly say that when I leave the office most nights, I feel like I have made a difference.

It is unfortunate, but there are a lot of very dangerous and deceitful people in the world who have devoted their lives to harming and scamming others. I take great pride in doing all that I can to make our communities safer and to see that criminals are brought to justice. Although it sounds cliché, the job description of an AUSA is simple: to do justice. What better job description could there be?