United States Attorney’s Office Marks Women’s History Month By Honoring The First And Post Recent Female Assistant United States Attorneys In The District

HARRISBURG – As we close Women’s History Month, United States Attorney David J. Freed and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania honor the outstanding service and contributions of our female Assistant United States Attorneys. 

Hired in 1979, Barbara Kosik Whitaker was the first female AUSA in the Middle District. The daughter of District Judge Edwin M. Kosik, Barbara graduated from Juniata College and the Dickinson School of Law. Barbara served the office faithfully until losing a hard-fought battle against breast cancer in 2011. 

U.S. Attorney Freed also recognizes Sally A. Lied as our second female AUSA in the Middle District. Ms. Lied began her extensive career by serving on the Indiana staff of Robert F. Kennedy's presidential campaign in 1968. She then entered the Indiana University School of Law and obtained her JD in 1974. In 1975, Ms. Lied was the Assistant Deputy Secretary of Education for Pennsylvania, the first woman to hold that position.  She was later promoted in 1978 to Deputy Attorney General. Ms. Lied joined the office in 1982, and served 20 years, retiring from federal service in 2000.  

Sally A. Lied (left) and Barbara Kosik Whitaker (right) with colleagues.    

As of March 2019, there are nine female AUSAs serving in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.  In the past few years, the Middle District welcomed five new and exceptional women lawyers to the office:

• A National Association of Women Lawyers Recognition Award recipient, Tamara Haken, joined the office last Fall following her established career as an Assistant Enforcement Counsel for the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, a legal advisor for CURE International, Inc. and as an Adjunct Professor in the Business Law Department for Harrisburg Area Community College;
• Joanne Hoffman began her federal career almost 11 years ago in our office as a Paralegal Specialist.  Ms. Hoffman attended Widener Law School’s evening degree program and was promoted in November 2018 to AUSA.  Ms. Hoffman handles criminal prosecution of illegal reentry and defense of civil immigration detention cases;
• A University of Pennsylvania graduate, Alisan Martin served as an Assistant District Attorney in Philadelphia prosecuting drug crimes and violent felonies before returning to her hometown of Williamsport to serve as an AUSA in 2017;
• An alum of Rutgers University, Shana Priore began her career clerking for the Honorable Alexander H. Carver, III of the Superior Court of New Jersey. Ms. Priore then served as a Deputy Attorney General in New Jersey before joining our office in 2017;
• Jenny Roberts, a graduate of Villanova School of law, joined the office in 2016 after a 12-year career as an Assistant District Attorney in Blair and Luzerne Counties.  Ms. Roberts serves as the Coordinator of the Financial Unit and the Asset Forfeiture Unit.

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