Justice elevates lawyer to interim U.S. Attorney

Announcement follows lawsuit settlement -- Bush nominee's Senate hearing not yet set

Email | Print By Milt Capps

Bush nominee Yarbrough

Paul O'Brien, former first assistant U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee under Interim U.S. Attorney Craig Morford, stepped into Morford's shoes Friday, following an announcement by U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

It is anticipated that O'Brien, 41, will serve until President Bush nominee Ed Yarbrough of Hollins, Wagster, Yarbrough, Weatherly & Raybin, P.C. passes muster before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.

O'Brien has been an assistant U.S. Attorney since 1995, in Nashville and in Memphis. Earlier, he served two years with the Justice Department in Washington, D.C. The Smithtown, N.Y., native earned his law degree at the University of Memphis and his bachelor's at Texas A&M University.

A Senate spokesman told NashvillePost.com this morning that Yarbrough's hearing is not scheduled, and must await the Senate's reconvening in September.

Gonzales' announcement of O'Brien's appointment trailed by roughly 10 days Senior Judge Leon Jordan's dismissal of a federal lawsuit, in which former Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Moon had sued Gonzales over alleged age-discrimination by then-U.S. Attorney Jim Vines. The parties settled out of court and did not reveal the terms of their agreement.

Moon is now an assistant public defender in the 22nd Judicial District for Giles, Lawrence, Maury and Wayne Counties.

Morford has joined Gonzales' staff as acting deputy attorney general, taking the role as Gonzales continues to fight criticism, suspicion and calls for his resignation, in the wake of allegations his agency overly politicized the appointment and firing of some U.S. Attorneys.

Vines became a partner in the Washington, D.C., office of King & Spalding, where his profile indicates he continues to serve Tennessee clients, as part of his environmental and healthcare law practices. Vines served four years as U.S. Attorney, following a stint as divisional general counsel at then-Bridgestone/Firestone Inc.