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WASHINGTON, D.C. - Attorney General John Ashcroft today welcomed President George W. Bush's announcement of his intention to nominate Sharee Michele Freeman to be Director of the Community Relations Service.

"Sharee Freeman will play an important role at the Department of Justice," Ashcroft said. "I trust she will lead the Community Relations Service with the same level of integrity that has guided her past service. I am eager to rely on her years of experience, and I look forward to working with her."

Previously, Freeman served as Counsel to the House Judiciary Committee, where she drafted legislation, arranged hearings and participated in markups for the full Committee. She was responsible for issues related to civil rights, fair housing, crime, religion and the Constitution.

Prior to that service, Freeman worked at the Department of the Interior, where she served as Acting Assistant Solicitor for General Indian Legal Activities and as Attorney-Advisor, a position from which she worked extensively on welfare, civil rights, education, ADA, housing and social service issues. From 1982-1984 she worked as an Assistant District Attorney in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Freeman received her BA from St. Lawrence University and her law degree from Georgetown University. Following law school, she served as a clerk to the Honorable Norma Holloway Johnson, District Court for the District of Columbia.

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