US Attorney
Jim Letten
Jim Letten, who has served as the United States Attorney since April, 2001, is a native of New Orleans, having graduated from the Tulane Law School in 1979. He spent a total of four years in the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office, under then-District Attorney Harry Connick.
He has served over twenty-five years as a federal prosecutor beginning with the U. S. Department of Justice Organized Crime and Racketeering Strike Force, and became Chief of the Strike Force in March of 1988 and remained Chief of the unit through that office’s merger into the United States Attorney’s Office in 1990, until being named First Assistant in August of 1994. While First Assistant, Jim served as a lead prosecutor in the investigation, prosecution, and successful conviction of former Louisiana Governor Edwin Edwards following a four-month jury trial in early 2000.
Jim was initially appointed by U. S. Attorney General John Ashcroft as the U. S. Attorney in April of 2001, until his appointment by President George W. Bush and subsequent Senate confirmation in July, 2005. As the United States Attorney, Jim serves on the Attorney General’s Advisory Subcommittees on National Security/Counter Terrorism, Environment Crimes and Violent Crimes. Jim is also a retired Naval Reserve Intelligence Officer, having achieved the rank of Commander, and having served as Squadron Intelligence Officer, NCIS Special Agent, and Foreign Counter-Intelligence Officer.
Jim has been active in the U. S. Department of Justice’s role in the post-Katrina efforts to rebuild the New Orleans Police Department and other local law enforcement agencies, as well as the state and local criminal justice and judicial systems.
Over his career as a prosecutor, Jim has received numerous awards from federal, state and local enforcement agencies, and civic institutions. Jim was recently awarded the 2005 United States Attorney General’s Medallion for Distinguished Service recognizing his leadership following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.
