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Appellate Division

The Appellate Division is primarily responsible for representing the interests of the Western District of New York in litigation before the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. The Second Circuit sits in New York City and hears direct appeals, in both civil and criminal cases, from decisions of the district courts in the six judicial districts in New York, Connecticut and Vermont. The Division’s litigative responsibility includes ensuring that the office’s written and oral advocacy before the Second Circuit are legally sound and consistent with positions advanced by the Department of Justice. The Division is also charged with advising the office concerning significant legal developments in cases decided by the United States Supreme Court and the Second Circuit.

The Chief of the Appellate Division is Tiffany H. Lee. Ms. Lee has been an Assistant United States Attorney in the Western District of New York since 2002, and prior to her current position, served as White Collar/General Crimes Chief for the Rochester office.  Immediately prior to joining the United States Attorney’s Office, she was a confidential law clerk to the Hon. Richard C. Wesley, who was then an Associate Judge of the New York State Court of Appeals. She earned her law degree from Syracuse University’s College of Law and her Masters in International Relations from The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Policy. Ms. Lee is a past president of the Greater Rochester Association for Women Attorneys and currently sits on the Board of Trustees for the Monroe County Bar Association.

Updated January 18, 2022