Acting United States Attorney Leif M. Johnson is now the interim Chief Federal Prosecutor of the District of Montana, following the announcement of the resignation of former United States Attorney Kurt G. Alma on November 23, 2020, in which U.S. Attorney Johnson took over immediately. Former U.S. Attorney Alma’s resignation was effective on December 3, 2020.
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Education and Early Career
In 1990, Acting United States Attorney Leif Johnson received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Montana. He immediately began working for the United States District Court Judge Jack D. Shanstrom in Billings, Montana, serving as a Law Clerk for two years.
Legal Career
Following his clerkship under the Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Montana, Leif M. Johnson began his 29 years of service as a licensed career prosecutor by joining the United States Department of Justice in Washington in 1992. He first served as a trial attorney in the Department of Justice Honors Program at the Department of Justice Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). For three years, up to 1995, U.S. Attorney Leif Johnson has worked for the Indian Resources Section of the Environment and Natural Resources Division, practicing litigations on water rights and land issues. Later on, U.S. Attorney Johnson returned to Montana and joined the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Since the year 1995, U.S. Attorney Johnson has remained loyal to the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana. In the Office, he started as a line assistant in the Civil Division, serving for 11 years from 1995 to 2006, until he was promoted and designated to be the Chief of the Criminal Division. In this capacity, United States Attorney Leif M. Johnson was responsible for managing and overseeing civil litigations in the District that represented the federal government, its agencies, and employees.
After seven years of working as the Chief in the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson became Appellate Chief for the Office in 2013. Three years later, he was then appointed to be the First Assistant for the Office in 2016.
Throughout his four-year service as a First Assistant in the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana, the appointment made on November 23, 2020, is now the second time Leif M. Johnson has been tasked to be the interim U.S. Attorney for the District.
Bar Admission
With an active admission to the State Bar of Montana since 1991, United States Attorney Leif Johnson has been a licensed prosecutor for 29 years working on both civil and criminal matters, wherein over 25 years have been spent serving and remaining loyal to the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana.
Office Jurisdiction
As the interim United States Attorney for the District of Montana, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson has the goal to concentrate on the Office’s core mission consistently – to prosecute crimes and defend the United States government’s interest in federal court for such cases that are necessary. In addition, the Office also has a mission to protect and serve the citizens of the District of Montana, which are to be achieved through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States. Moreover, Leif M. Johnson oversees more than 70 employees from the four different branches of the Office in Billings, Great Falls, Helena, and Missoula – making up the largest geographical federal court district in the lower 48 states.
Contact Details
Full Name: Leif M. Johnson
District/State: District of Montana
Public email ID: leif.johnson@usdoj.gov
Billings Office
(406) 657-6101
Main
(406) 657-6989
Fax
(800) 291-6108
Toll-Free
Great Falls Office
(406) 761-7715
Main
(406) 453-9973
Fax
(888) 326-2894
Toll-Free
Helena Office
(406) 457-5120
Main
(406) 457-5130
Fax
(866) 333-8835
Toll-Free
Missoula Office
(406) 542-8851
Main
(406) 542-1476
Fax
(866) 291-3836
Toll-Free
Delivery Service
Billings Office
U.S. Attorney’s Office
2601 2nd Ave N.
Suite 3200
Billings, MT 59101
Great Falls Office
U.S. Attorney’s Office
119 1st Ave N.
Suite 300
Great Falls, MT 59401
Helena Office
901 Front St.
Suite 1100
Helena, MT 59626
Missoula Office
P.O. Box 8329
Missoula, MT 59807
Social Media Profiles
Twitter Field
Username: U.S. Attorney Montana
Tag: @USAO_MT
URL: https://twitter.com/USAO_MT
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