In September 2013, President Obama nominated Leslie Caldwell, former director of the Justice Department's Enron Task Force, to replace Lanny Breuer as head of the DOJ's Criminal Division. Eight months later, the U.S. Senate finally confirmed Caldwell yesterday on a voice vote. Breuer announced his resignation from the DOJ on January 30, 2013, and joined the law firm of Covington & Burling a few months later as Vice Chair of the firm.

As head of the Criminal Division, Caldwell will oversee the nearly 600 attorneys who prosecute federal criminal cases across the country and help develop the criminal law. She will also work with the country's 93 U.S. Attorneys in investigating and prosecuting criminal matters. Since March 21, 2014, David A. O'Neil has been serving as Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division.

Caldwell joins the DOJ from law firm Morgan Lewis & Bockius, where she was a partner in its New York office. Previously, Caldwell served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California as well as the Eastern District of New York, and was director of the Enron Task Force from 2002 until 2004.

According to McClatchy, Caldwell's confirmation, which comes during Mary Jo White's term as chairman of the SEC, marks the first time that women have simultaneously led both the Criminal Division and the SEC. 

Topics