B. J. Pak
Byung Jin "BJay" Pak[1][2] (born 1974) is a Korean-American attorney and politician who currently serves as the United States Attorney for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. He served in the Georgia House of Representatives as a Republican from 2011 to 2017. After representing the 102nd District from 2011 to 2013 and the 108th District from 2013 to 2017, Pak opted not to run for re-election in the November 2016 election.[3][4] Pak was previously a federal prosecutor. While serving as an Assistant United States Attorney, he led the prosecution of individuals who tried to steal Coca-Cola's trade secrets in order to sell them to Pepsi.[5] Pak is Georgia's first Asian-American U.S. Attorney, and he was the state's first Korean-American legislator.[6]
B. J. Pak | |
|---|---|
 | |
| United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia | |
| Assumed office October 10, 2017 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | John A. Horn |
| Member of the Georgia House of Representatives | |
| In office January 10, 2011 – January 9, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Clay Cox |
| Succeeded by | Clay Cox |
| Constituency | 102nd district (2011–13) 108th district (2013–17) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1974 (age 45–46) Seoul, South Korea |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Sandra |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Stetson University (BA) University of Illinois (JD) |
Early life and education
Pak was born in Seoul, South Korea. His family immigrated to Apopka, Florida, when he was 9 years old.[6] Pak is a graduate of Stetson University, where he earned a degree in accounting. He earned his Juris Doctor, summa cum laude and Order of the Coif, from the University of Illinois College of Law. In law school, Pak was a Harno Scholar, served as the notes editor for the recent decisions section of the Illinois Bar Journal, and was a member of the Elder Law Journal. In 2013, he was named Distinguished Alumnus of the Year by the University of Illinois College of Law. After graduation, he clerked for Richard Mills of the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois.[1]
U.S. Attorney
In July 2017, Pak was nominated by President Donald Trump to become United States Attorney for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.[5] He was confirmed for the position by the United States Senate on September 28, 2017.[7]
References
- "Meet the U.S. Attorney". United States Department of Justice. 8 April 2015. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
- "President Donald J. Trump Announces Fourth Wave of United States Attorney Candidate Nominations". whitehouse.gov. 2017-07-21. Retrieved 2018-03-16.
- Yeomans, Curt (February 20, 2016). "Pak leaving legislature after current term ends". Gwinnett Daily Post. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
- "B.J. Pak". Ballotpedia. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
- Hallerman, Tamar (July 21, 2017). "Donald Trump taps former Georgia rep., Albany lawyer to be U.S. attorneys". Atlanta Journal Constitution. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
- McDonald, R. Robin (July 25, 2017). "Pak's Nomination a 'Great Leap' for Georgia's Asian-Americans". Daily Report. Law.com. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
- Hallerman, Tamar (September 28, 2017). "Senate confirms former state rep. to be Atlanta-based U.S. attorney". Atlanta Journal Constitution. Retrieved 23 October 2017.