US Attorney Lamar Resigns After Decades of Service

After nearly 30 years of service to the United States Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, William C. Lamar, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Mississippi, announced Tuesday that he has tendered his resignation effective Feb. 27.

Lamar’s resignation was submitted at the request of President Joe Biden and the acting Attorney General, who have requested the resignation of 56 Senate-confirmed US attorneys appointed by Trump.

The changeover of US attorneys is routine after a new president is elected. In 2017, then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions asked 46 Obama-appointed US attorneys to resign.

“It has been a privilege and honor to serve as an AUSA and the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Mississippi and in the town where I was raised,” Lamar said in a written press release. “While I leave with a bit of a heavy heart, I’m so proud of the accomplishments, past, present and future, of our office. It will be left in good hands.”

Quoting author A.A. Milne, Lamar further remarked, “I am so lucky to have had a place that makes saying goodbye so hard.”

Lamar graduated from Oxford High School before attending Millsaps College for his undergraduate studies. He completed his law degree at the University of Mississippi School of Law and obtained an LLM in tax from Boston University School of Law. Upon completing his legal studies, Lamar returned to Mississippi and served as a law clerk to U.S. District Judge Neal B. Biggers from 1990-1991. 

Lamar joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 1991 where he worked as an AUSA in the criminal division for many years. During his years as a line AUSA in the Criminal Division, Lamar received several awards for his work, including a coveted Director’s Award from the Executive Office for U.S. Attorney’s in 2004. While employed in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Lamar served in a variety of capacities, including Senior Litigation Counsel, Chief of the Criminal Division, and as Appellate Chief.

Lamar was nominated to serve as U.S. Attorney by President Donald J. Trump on June 29, 2017.  He was unanimously confirmed by the Senate on Nov. 19, 2017, and was sworn in by Chief U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock on Nov. 22, 2017.

Staff report