FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AG FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 1997 (202) 616-2777 TDD (202) 514-1888 ATTORNEY GENERAL ANNOUNCES ACTING ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR CIVIL RIGHTS, DIRECTOR FOR TRIBAL JUSTICE, AND HEAD OF INTERPOL WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Attorney General Janet Reno today announced that Isabelle Katz Pinzler will become the Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, Thomas L. LeClaire will become the Director of the Office of Tribal Justice, and John J. Imhoff will become the Chief of the U.S. National Central Bureau of INTERPOL. Isabelle Katz Pinzler Isabelle Katz Pinzler will become Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights on January 21, after Assistant Attorney General Deval L. Patrick steps down. Pinzler will serve in that role until a new Assistant Attorney General is appointed and confirmed by the Senate. Pinzler has served as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Division since 1994. In that role she helped to coordinate the Division's review and reform of federal affirmative action programs and supervised affirmative action litigation. She also helped formulate legal policy on issues of school desegre-gation and discrimination in higher education. "Isabelle has been a tremendous force for civil rights," said Patrick, who is returning to Boston to be with his family. Pinzler, who is a national expert on women's rights law, served as Director of the Women's Rights Project of the ACLU, based in New York City, and founded by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She received her law degree from Boston University School of Law. "Through her leadership, the Division will continue to build upon its successes and defend the rights of all Americans," said Reno. Pinzler resides in both Washington, D.C. and New York City. Thomas L. LeClaire Thomas L. LeClaire will take over as head of the Office of Tribal Justice on Monday, January 13. The office, created in January 1995, coordinates the Justice Department's policies on Native American issues with the goal of improving services to American Indians and Alaska Natives. LeClaire, a member of the Mohawk Nation, most recently served as an assistant U.S. Attorney in Phoenix. As an Assistant, he prosecuted criminal violations in Indian Country, including violent crime and illegal trafficking in Indian artifacts. "Under Tom's leadership, the Office of Tribal Justice will continue to promote strong relations between Indian tribes and the Justice Department," said Reno. LeClaire has also served as an assistant U.S. Attorney in Washington, D.C., as Chief Defense Counsel in the Mediterranean for the U.S. Navy, and as an Assistant District Attorney in New York City. In addition, he has worked as a staff attorney for the Native American Rights Fund and as a litigator for the law firm of Fredericks, Pelcyger, Hester & White in Boulder, Colorado, which specializes in Indian law. The position does not require Senate confirmation. John J. Imhoff John J. Imhoff will become the Chief of the U.S. National Central Bureau of INTERPOL, which promotes mutual assistance and cooperation between various international law enforcement agencies. Imhoff, who began his career with the FBI in 1976, most recently served in the FBI's International Relations Branch. While in that role, Imhoff helped establish the FBI's new Legal Attache (Legat) operation in Tallinn, Estonia, managed a unit that oversaw Legat operations in the Americas and the Pacific Rim, and served for a month in the Rome Legat office. Prior to his international work, Imhoff represented the FBI's long term fiscal planning interests for six years in the Finance Division. He also has supervised the Organized Crime/Drug and White-Collar Crime Squads in the Baltimore Division, and served as an investigator in the Detroit Division. Imhoff is married and the father of two sons. The position does not require Senate confirmation. # # # 96-013