GRAND RAPIDS (WZZM) - A Grand Rapids lawyer has been appointed as the new United States Attorney for the Western District of Michigan.
Patrick Miles, Jr. took the oath of office Monday morning according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Miles was nominated by President Obama on March 29th. A local selection review committee of West Michigan lawyers recommended Miles to Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow last August. He is the first African American to hold the post of U.S. Attorney for West Michigan.
The U.S. Attorney is the chief law enforcement officer in the district, responsible for the federal criminal prosecutions and civil cases involving the U.S. Government. The Western District of Michigan includes 49 counties, including the Upper Peninsula and 11 federally-recognized Native American Indian Tribes.
Miles is a graduate of Harvard Law School and became partner at Varnum, Riddering, Schmidt, and Howlett in 1991 at age 29. He was the first African-American partner at Varnum in its 110 year history.
Miles graduated from Ottawa Hills High School when he was 16 and graduated from Aquinas College.
He also ran for Congress in 2010 and won the Democratic primary, but lost to current representative Justin Amash.