NAFUSA’s mission is to promote, defend and further the integrity of the Offices of United States Attorneys. The organization has, since 1979, lived up to its mission, in part, by providing a forum through its annual conferences for continuing education and fostering professional relationships and the exchange of information. Even more, NAFUSA has been providing the opportunity to socialize and network with fellow members at its conferences in great locations and at a reasonable price. To help
continue with this tradition, and to give NAFUSA members the opportunity to reaffirm their support of the organization, the Board of Directors has created a new level of membership beginning in 2023 – Sustaining Member. The new membership level, which consists of an annual fee of $500 in addition to membership dues, will be named after former Executive Director Rich Rossman. Please consider becoming a Sustaining Member when you register for the 2023 NAFUSA Conference in Half Moon Bay or when you make your 2023 dues payment.
Silbert Flag Presentation
NAFUSA members Jay Stephens and George Terwilliger presented the flag flown over the Department of Justice in honor of Earl Silbert to his family members. The longtime NAFUSA member and president 1985-1986 passed away on September 6, 2022. The flag was presented to Earl’s wife, Pat, and his daughter, Leslie, on Friday, December 2, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
Death of NAFUSA Board Member Deborah Gilg
NAFUSA Board of Directors Member, Deborah Gilg passed away on November 16, 2022, after a short but courageous battle with colon cancer. She was 70.
Deborah was appointed by President Obama in 2009 as the United States Attorney for
Nebraska, the first woman to hold this position, and served until her retirement from the
Department of Justice in 2017. During her tenure she served on numerous Committees under Attorneys General Eric Holder and Loretta Lynch, including serving as Chair of the Federal Task Force on Violence Against Native American Women. She was instrumental in that role in securing federal resources for the investigation and prosecution of domestic violence and sexual assault cases against Native American Women.
After leaving the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Deborah became even more active in community engagement in her home state of Nebraska. She founded the organization Fearless, Fierce, and Forward to provide women with empowerment training in the areas of gender pay parity, negotiation skills, surviving domestic violence and professional development. She also served in leadership positions with the Nebraska Jail Standards Board for 24 years, having been appointed by 5 different governors. She joined the adjunct faculty at the University of Nebraska College of Law, her alma mater, and later served as adjunct faculty at the Sandra Day O’Conner College of Law at Arizona State University.
Among her many honors and awards were the Nebraska Bar Foundation’s Outstanding Public Service Award and the Nebraska Women’s Bar Association’s Outstanding Contribution to Women in the Law Award. She was a lifetime Nebraska Bar Foundation Fellow and a member of the Nebraska, Iowa, and Colorado Bar Associations. She loved to travel, was a talented pianist and devoted mother and grandmother.
According to colleague and former NAFUSA Board member Barry Grissom, in addition to these achievements, Deborah was a backup singer to Kenny Rogers and participated in the Alaska Iditarod on several occasions, riding in portions of the race. She was also the County Coroner for Keich County, Nebraska.
He added that Deborah, who was a strong supporter of breaking glass ceilings, on one occasion, when the selection of a new leader was being discussed at a Midwest HIDTA meeting, pointed out, “I don’t play golf with you, I’m not in the good ole boy club, but if you want someone to lead who has experience, I’m your person.” At that point the U.S. Attorney from Kansas responded, “If that’s a motion, I second it.” The motion passed.
Deborah is survived by her husband of 46 years, Dan; her daughters Colleen and Nicole; her son Greg; and six grandchildren. If you would like to offer condolences, Dan can be reached at gilgd0415@gmail.com or 16607 Harney Street, Omaha NB 68118.
In keeping with NAFUSA tradition, a flag will be flown over the Department of Justice in her honor.
Loretta Lynch to head team reviewing Boston Bruin vetting process
The National Hockey League’s Boston Bruins have hired a law firm to review their player-vetting process in the wake of intense backlash after signing hockey prospect Mitchell Miller. Former Attorney General and NAFUSA member Loretta Lynch, a partner at Paul, Weiss, will lead a team of lawyers from that firm conducting an independent review of how the Bruins vet players. A spokesperson for the team said the Bruins willfully cooperate with the review and will publicly disclose the results.
Ms. Lynch was the 83rd Attorney General of the United States serving from 2015 to 2017. She also served as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York 1999-2002 and 2010-2015.
Death of Charles Larson, Sr.
Former NAFUSA member Charles (“Chuck”) W. Larson, Sr. passed away on Thursday November 3, 2022. He was 87. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Ellen Larson and two children, Charles W. Larson, Jr. and Carrie Larson Graham.
Chuck was appointed by President Ronald Reagan and reappointed by President George H.W. Bush to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa from 1986 to 1993. In 2001, President George W. Bush reappointed him to the U.S. Attorney position where he served until his retirement in 2006. In 2004 he took a leave of absence from this position to serve as Senior Justice Advisor to the U.S.
Ambassador to Iraq, at the United States Embassy in Baghdad. Chuck was a graduate of the United States Army War College and the United States Army Command and General Staff College. He served in the United States Army Reserve for 33 years.
Chuck earned his juris doctor degree from the University of Iowa College of Law and his Bachelor of Science Degree from Kansas State University. A private service with military honors was held on Friday, November 11, in his hometown of Princeton, Illinois. In keeping with NAFUSA tradition, a flag was flown over the Department of Justice in his honor.
NAFUSA Board of Directors meets in Austin, Texas
The NAFUSA Board of Directors and Officers met in Austin, Texas on Saturday, October 29, 2022, for its fall meeting. The meeting was hosted by the law firm of Holland and Knight in their beautiful offices overlooking the Colorado River. The firm generously provided breakfast and the services of two of their talented staff members for technical and administrative support. The Board meeting was extremely productive, as well as a great opportunity for Board members to interact and exchange ideas.
NAFUSA President Chuck Stevens welcomed the Board members and guests who attended the meeting in Austin, at their own expense, as well as the members who were able to join via zoom. President Stevens led a discussion of the program for the 2023 annual conference in Half Moon Bay next March. Board members who have volunteered to moderate panels of invited speakers at the conference presented overviews of their topics and proposed speakers. In addition to what promises to be an outstanding conference program, and the beautiful hotel accommodations and golf facilities at Half Moon Bay, the 2023 conference will provide many social opportunities to mix and mingle with fellow NAFUSA members and guests.
Board members were happy to learn that NAFUSA sponsor Guidepost Solutions will again sponsor the very popular Wednesday Night Welcome Reception. As always, NAFUSA relies on the generous support of sponsors for its annual conferences. The Board discussed the importance of recruiting and maintaining sponsorships and were provided with the list of 2023 conference sponsors to date.
New Executive Director Wendy Goggin presented a Conflict-of-Interest Policy for NAFUSA, which was adopted by the Board. She also went over financial reports including an analysis of 2022 conference expenses and income, current statements of NAFUSA’s Financial Position and Statement of Activity, and year to date operating budget. Treasurer Tim Purdon discussed NAFUSA’s financial position going forward and presented the recommendations of the newly formed Finance Committee, which he chairs.
Finally, President-elect John Richter led a discussion of logistics for the 2024 Conference. Board members overwhelmingly supported returning the Conference to its traditional fall time frame. Planning for the 2024 Conference, to be held in the fall of 2024, is underway.
Thanks to Board member and proud Austin resident, Johnny Sutton, for acting as tour guide and entertainment for the Board’s stay in Austin. The meeting and time spent in Austin were productive and fun and a great opportunity to interact with fellow board members.
Death of Former Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti
Benjamin Civiletti, the seventy-third Attorney General of the United States, died on October 16, 2022. Mr. Civiletti graduated from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1961 with an LLB degree. After clerking for Federal District Judge Calvin Chestnut, he became an Assistant United States Attorney in Baltimore, Maryland for two years before entering the private practice of law. Prior to being sworn in as Attorney General during the Carter administration upon the resignation of Attorney General Griffin Bell, Mr. Civiletti headed the Criminal Division until being nominated for Deputy Attorney General in May 1978. He was sworn in as Attorney General on August 16, 1979. As Attorney General he argued before the International Court of Justice on behalf of Americans being held captive in Iran during the Iran Hostage crisis and before the Supreme Court in support of the government’s right to denaturalize Nazi war criminals in Fedorenko v. U.S.
Mr. Civiletti was Chairman Emeritus and retired partner in the law firm Venable LLP in Washington, D.C. until his death at the age of 87. He is survived by his wife, Gaile and their three children.
Sally Yates Leads Women’s Soccer Investigation
Sally Yates, Former Acting Attorney General and NAFUSA member, recently concluded a year-long investigation into the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). The investigation was commissioned by the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF), the official governing body of soccer in the United States. The USSF retained King & Spalding, the law firm in which Ms. Yates is a partner, to conduct an independent investigation into allegations of abusive behavior in women’s professional soccer. Ms. Yates, who led the all-women investigation team, filed a 172-page report revealing a deeply rooted pattern of verbal abuse, emotional abuse, and sexual misconduct involving multiple teams, coaches, and victims.
Although the investigation focused on the NWSL and National Team players, the report, released October 3, 2022, identified systemic abuse beginning in youth leagues, which, the report contends, results in normalizing verbally abusive coaching. Ms. Yates and the investigative team conducted over 200 interviews, including more than 100 interviews with current and former NWSL and National Team players. These interviews revealed a pattern of degrading and relentless tirades by coaches an disturbing accounts of sexual misconduct. Furthermore, the report revealed that teams, the NWSL and the USSF repeatedly failed to respond appropriately to reports of abusive behavior.
The report made recommendations on how to change the culture of the league, including holding coaches accountable and better vetting of hires. U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone called the findings in the report “heartbreaking and deeply troubling.” She promised changes to improve the league, including implementing recommendations from the Report.
Ms. Yates was United States Attorney from 2010 to 2015 for the Northern District of Georgia. President Barack Obama appointed her Deputy Attorney General in 2015.
Delahanty Flag Presentation
On September 9, 2022, Tom Delahanty’s former U.S. Attorney colleagues, Eric Miller, Rick Hartunian, Emily Rice, Carmen Ortiz and John Kacavas, presented the American flag flown over the Department of Justice in observance of Tom’s passing on April 12, 2021, to his wife, Ruth, and son Patrick. (See April 15, 2021, article about Tom Delahanty’s passing and remembering his outstanding career on the NAFUSA website.) The group enjoyed lunch on the Boston waterfront remembering Tom’s wit, wisdom, good humor, and devoted service.
Above is a photo of Tom with his wife and U.S. Attorney colleagues at a Northern Border Conference in Lake Placid, N.Y. in September, 2011.
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