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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release February 7, 2000

PRESIDENT CLINTON NAMES MARY LOU LEARY AS ACTING ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL IN THE OFFICE OF JUSTICE PROGRAMS AT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

The President today announced his intent to appoint Mary Lou Leary to serve as Acting Assistant Attorney General in the Office of Justice Programs at the Department of Justice.

Ms. Mary Lou Leary, of Alexandria, Virginia, currently serves as Deputy Associate Attorney General and Chief of Staff to the Associate Attorney General at the Department of Justice. She was the Interim Director of the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) from June to October of 1999. Prior to working at the Department of Justice, Ms. Leary served as United States Attorney for the District of Columbia. Ms. Leary served as Chief of the Superior Court Division of the U.S. Attorney's Office in the District of Columbia, where she was responsible for coordinating efforts with local law enforcement and government agencies. Ms. Leary was responsible for inaugurating the Weed and Seed effort in the District of Columbia, a program to reduce crime and rebuild neighborhoods. In addition, Ms. Leary served as Executive Assistant United States Attorney for Operations from 1992 to 1995.

Ms. Leary received a B.A. degree from Syracuse University, a M.A. degree from Ohio State University, and a J.D. degree from Northeastern University School of Law. She is a member of the Bar in the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The Office of Justice Programs has provided federal leadership in developing the nation's capacity to prevent and control crime since 1984. It serves to improve the criminal and juvenile justice systems, increase knowledge about crime and related issues, and assist crime victims. The Assistant Attorney General is responsible for overall management and oversight in the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and its component bureaus and offices. Overall, the Office of Justice Programs and its component offices award approximately $4 billion in grants annually. Since the passage of the President's 1994 Crime Act, the Assistant Attorney General has been responsible for direct administration of landmark programs, such as Violence Against Women, Drug Courts, Weed and Seed, Violent Offender Incarceration, and others.

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