Ryan Buchanan, Class of 2005, has been sworn in as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia in Atlanta. Buchanan will oversee an office of approximately 250 prosecutors and staff members.
Buchanan was nominated to the position by President Joe Biden on Nov. 15 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on April 28. His oath of office was administered by Judge Thomas Thrash Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia in a private ceremony.
“I am honored to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia,” Buchanan said in a statement. “I am grateful to President Biden for the opportunity to lead a dynamic and talented team of public servants who are dedicated to the pursuit of justice and ensuring the safety of our community. I am also thankful for the recommendation and support of Senator Ossoff and Senator Warnock during the confirmation process. This office has a long tradition of working closely with our law enforcement and community partners, the defense bar, and the court in serving this district. I look forward to maintaining and strengthening those relationships.”
Buchanan will oversee all criminal and civil cases brought in the Northern District of Georgia by the Justice Department. The district is comprised of 46 counties and has courthouses in Atlanta, Gainesville, Rome and Newnan.
Buchanan received his undergraduate degree from Samford University in 2001 before earning his law degree at Vanderbilt.
He joined the Justice Department in 2010 as an assistant U.S. attorney in Birmingham, Alabama. Three years later, he became a federal prosecutor in Atlanta. During his time as a prosecutor, Buchanan successfully tried cases involving foreign terrorist organizations and attempts by domestic terrorists to acquire weapons of mass destruction.