THE WHITE HOUSE

                      Office of the Press Secretary
                          (New York, New York)
________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                 September 22, 1998

               PRESIDENT CLINTON NAMES DENISE E. O' DONNELL 
                        AS UNITED STATES ATTORNEY 
                  FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK

The President today announced his intent to nominate Denise E. O'Donnell to serve as United States Attorney for the Western District of New York.

Ms. Denise E. O'Donnell, of Buffalo, New York, is currently interim United States Attorney for the Western District of New York, a position she has held since September 1997. She previously served as the District's First Assistant United States Attorney for four years, and as Appellate Chief for three years. Ms. O'Donnell joined the United States Attorney's office in Buffalo in 1985 as an Assistant United States Attorney handling both criminal and civil litigation. Prior to her federal career, she served as law clerk from 1982 until 1985 to the Honorable M. Dolores Denman, presiding justice for the New York State Appellate Division, Fourth Department. Ms. O'Donnell is a member of the New York State Bar Association, the Women's Bar Association of the State of New York, and the Erie County Bar Association. She has held a number of bar association offices and has served on criminal law, professional ethics, legislation, and public service committees. Her other professional affiliations include the Western New York Trial Lawyers Association and the Volunteer Lawyers Program, and since 1996, she has hosted the AIDS Community Services annual fund-raiser. She also has extensive experience as a lecturer and law school instructor.

Ms. O'Donnell received a B.A. degree from Canisius College in 1968, a M.S.W. degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and a J.D. degree from the State University of New York.

United States Attorneys are the chief federal prosecutors and law enforcement officers for the 94 federal judicial districts. They have principal responsibility for the prosecution of federal matters in their district.

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