Bill Killian
The U.S. Senate has confirmed the appointment of Bill Killian as United States Attorney for the Eastern District.
Mr. Killian is from South Pittsburg, but often practices in Federal Court in Chattanooga. His law office is in Jasper.
He is expected to move the main office of the Eastern District of Tennessee from Knoxville to Chattanooga.
The district includes offices at Chattanooga, Knoxville, Winchester and Greeneville.
Senator Lamar Alexander said, “Bill Killian served as a local prosecutor before spending the last three decades in private practice, where he has handled both criminal and civil cases. I’m glad the Senate has confirmed Bill to serve as U.S. Attorney so he can put that experience to work for the people of East Tennessee.”
Mr. Killian will immediately assume duties as United States Attorney. He will take over the office from Acting U.S. Attorney Gregg L. Sullivan.
Mr. Killian said, "I am deeply honored and appreciative of President Obama's nomination, and the support of Senator Lamar Alexander, Senator Bob Corker, Congressman Lincoln Davis, and the entire Tennessee Congressional delegation. I intend to work with both state and federal officials as well as citizens to address, coordinate and efficiently utilize the resources of the federal government to enforce the law and meet the many challenges for law enforcement."
From 1979 to the present, Mr. Killian has been a sole practitioner in his law firm in Jasper. Since 1996, he has also served as the city attorney for the Town of Monteagle, a job he previously held from 1981 through 1988. Until recently, Mr. Killian held positions on the Tennessee Court Reporting Board, the Tennessee Bar Association House of Delegates, and the Board of Directors of the Chattanooga area Chapter of the American Red Cross. He is a master member of the Chattanooga chapter of The American Inns of Court. He has been certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy as a civil and criminal trial advocate since 1995. Killian graduated from the University of Tennessee School of Law in 1974, after receiving a B.S. degree from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. He was admitted to the Tennessee Bar in April 1975. From 1976 through 1979, he was employed as an assistant district attorney with
the Twelfth Judicial District, serving seven counties in Southeast Tennessee and returned to this position part-time from 1988 through 1990. Through the years he has held various teaching positions with colleges in East Tennessee as well as the University of Tennessee College of Law.
He served in the U.S. Army, Tennessee National Guard from December 1970 through January 1973.
The U.S. Attorney's office prosecutes the criminal cases brought by the federal government, prosecutes and defends the civil cases, in which the United States is a party, and collects the debts owed to the federal government. As U.S. Attorney, Mr. Killian will serve the entire Eastern District of Tennessee, which is the largest district in Tennessee encompassing 41 of 95 counties and spanning 420 miles. The U.S. Attorney's Office currently employs 45 assistant U.S. attorneys and 62 support staff members in the Knoxville headquarters and Chattanooga, Greeneville and Johnson City branch offices. There is also an office in Winchester.