ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY GENERAL JAY B. STEPHENS TO STEP DOWN

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft today announced that Jay B. Stephens, Associate Attorney General, will step down to pursue an opportunity in the private sector.

"Jay Stephens has been an invaluable member of the Department of Justice," said Ashcroft. "He is a principled man, and his leadership will be missed. I thank him for his dedicated service to the Department and to America. We wish him the best in his future endeavors."

Stephens, confirmed by the United States Senate on November 8, 2001, will become senior vice president and general counsel for a Fortune 100 company. He is expected to assume his new duties on October 7, 2002.

"I am grateful for having had the opportunity to serve our country at the Department of Justice," Stephens said. "It has been a privilege to contribute to the leadership of this great Department which plays a very special role in maintaining the vitality of our democracy and in preserving our liberty."

Upon Mr. Stephens' departure, Peter D. Keisler, Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General, will serve as the Acting Associate Attorney General. Prior to coming to the Department of Justice, Mr. Keisler was a partner at the law firm of Sidley Austin Brown & Wood. A graduate of Yale College and Yale Law School, Mr. Keisler had previously served as Associate Counsel to the President and as law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy.

The Office of the Associate Attorney General advises and assists the Attorney General and the Deputy Attorney General in formulating and implementing Departmental policies and programs pertaining to a broad range of civil justice, federal and local law enforcement, and public safety matters. The Office oversees the following Department components: Antitrust Division, Civil Division, Civil Rights Division, Environment and Natural Resources Division, Tax Division, Office of Justice Programs, Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), Community Relations Service, Office of Dispute Resolution, Office of Information and Privacy, Executive Office of U.S. Trustees, and the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission.

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