Paula D. Silsby
Encyclopedia
Paula D. Silsby is the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine. Both her father and her grandfather have been Superior Court justices. Her father, Judge Herbert T. Silsby, is a Superior Court justice in Ellsworth, Maine
.http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/audience/stories/070318judges.html
She obtained her B.A. from Mount Holyoke College
in 1973 and her J.D. from the University of Maine School of Law
in 1976. She served as Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine from 1977 until 2001. She served as chief of the criminal division in the U.S. Attorney's office from 1994 until 2001.
In 1985, she was a co-founder of the Pine Grove Child Development Center, Inc. In 1998, she received the Caroline Duby Glassman
award from the Maine Bar Association. This award is given annually to a woman who has done the most to advance the position of women in the legal profession. She also has received Attorney General Janet Reno
's Director's Award for Executive Achievement. Active in the Alumni Association of the University of Maine School of Law, she has served two terms on that association's board of directors. In 2005, she received the Deborah Morton Award from the University of New England
. The Deborah Morton Award is given to women who have achieved high distinction in their careers or in public service.http://www.une.edu/ur/news/mortonawards05.asp
and confirmed by the United States Senate
, usually after a name has been suggested to the president by the senior senator from that state who is of the same political party as the president.
In March 2001, the senior senator for Maine, Olympia Snowe
, recommended Silsby for the post of U.S. Attorney. However, Silsby's name was never forwarded by the White House to the Senate. Instead, she was appointed U.S. Attorney on an interim basis by Attorney General
John Ashcroft
. She took her oath of office on September 3, 2001. Her term as an Attorney General-interim appointee expired after 120 days, and she was re-appointed by the U.S. District Court, pending a Senate approval of a presidential nominee. As of 2007, she is one of only three U.S. attorneys who have been appointed in this way (the others are William Leone of Colorado and Deborah Rhodes of Alabama). Silsby is by far the longest serving interim U.S. Attorney.
In 2007 it was revealed that Silsby's name was among those U.S. Attorneys who were considered for dismissal as part of the dismissal of U.S. attorneys controversy
.
Ellsworth, Maine
Ellsworth is a city in and the county seat of Hancock County, Maine, United States. The 2010 Census determined it had a population of 7,741. Ellsworth was Maine's fastest growing city from 2000-2010 with a growth rate of nearly 20 percent...
.http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/audience/stories/070318judges.html
She obtained her B.A. from Mount Holyoke College
Mount Holyoke College
Mount Holyoke College is a liberal arts college for women in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It was the first member of the Seven Sisters colleges, and served as a model for some of the others...
in 1973 and her J.D. from the University of Maine School of Law
University of Maine School of Law
The University of Maine School of Law is located in Portland, Maine and is Maine's only law school. It is a freestanding institution within the University of Maine System. In practice, it is administered as a unit of the University of Southern Maine, which provides the law school's support staff...
in 1976. She served as Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine from 1977 until 2001. She served as chief of the criminal division in the U.S. Attorney's office from 1994 until 2001.
In 1985, she was a co-founder of the Pine Grove Child Development Center, Inc. In 1998, she received the Caroline Duby Glassman
Caroline Duby Glassman
Caroline Duby Glassman is an American attorney and former jurist in the state of Maine. A native of Oregon, she completed college and law school in that state before moving to Portland, Maine, where she practiced law with her husband Harry P. Glassman...
award from the Maine Bar Association. This award is given annually to a woman who has done the most to advance the position of women in the legal profession. She also has received Attorney General Janet Reno
Janet Reno
Janet Wood Reno is a former Attorney General of the United States . She was nominated by President Bill Clinton on February 11, 1993, and confirmed on March 11...
's Director's Award for Executive Achievement. Active in the Alumni Association of the University of Maine School of Law, she has served two terms on that association's board of directors. In 2005, she received the Deborah Morton Award from the University of New England
University of New England, Maine
The University of New England is an independent, coeducational university with two campuses in Maine: the main campus in Biddeford and another in Portland.- History :...
. The Deborah Morton Award is given to women who have achieved high distinction in their careers or in public service.http://www.une.edu/ur/news/mortonawards05.asp
Appointment as U.S. Attorney
In 2001, she became U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine under unusual circumstances. Normally, a U.S. Attorney is nominated by the PresidentPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
and confirmed by the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, usually after a name has been suggested to the president by the senior senator from that state who is of the same political party as the president.
In March 2001, the senior senator for Maine, Olympia Snowe
Olympia Snowe
Olympia Jean Snowe , née Bouchles, is the senior United States Senator from Maine and a member of the Republican Party. Snowe has become widely known for her ability to influence the outcome of close votes, including whether to end filibusters. She and her fellow Senator from Maine, Susan Collins,...
, recommended Silsby for the post of U.S. Attorney. However, Silsby's name was never forwarded by the White House to the Senate. Instead, she was appointed U.S. Attorney on an interim basis by Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
John Ashcroft
John Ashcroft
John David Ashcroft is a United States politician who served as the 79th United States Attorney General, from 2001 until 2005, appointed by President George W. Bush. Ashcroft previously served as the 50th Governor of Missouri and a U.S...
. She took her oath of office on September 3, 2001. Her term as an Attorney General-interim appointee expired after 120 days, and she was re-appointed by the U.S. District Court, pending a Senate approval of a presidential nominee. As of 2007, she is one of only three U.S. attorneys who have been appointed in this way (the others are William Leone of Colorado and Deborah Rhodes of Alabama). Silsby is by far the longest serving interim U.S. Attorney.
In 2007 it was revealed that Silsby's name was among those U.S. Attorneys who were considered for dismissal as part of the dismissal of U.S. attorneys controversy
Dismissal of U.S. attorneys controversy
The dismissal of U.S. Attorneys controversy was initiated by the unprecedented midterm dismissal of seven United States Attorneys on December 7, 2006 by the George W. Bush administration's Department of Justice. Congressional investigations focused on whether the Department of Justice and the White...
.