Sally Yates
Sally Yates – Biography, Career, and Legacy
Meta description: Sally Yates is an American lawyer and former acting U.S. Attorney General, known for defending the rule of law over politics. Read her full biography, career highlights, and quotes.
Introduction
Sally Quillian Yates (born August 20, 1960) is a distinguished American lawyer and public servant who has served in multiple high-level roles within the U.S. Department of Justice, including as Acting Attorney General in 2017. She is known for her commitment to legal integrity, her leadership in federal prosecutions, and her refusal to defend policies she deemed unconstitutional. Her stand in the “travel ban” controversy made her a prominent figure in debates over executive power and the independence of the justice system.
Early Life and Education
Sally was born in Atlanta, Georgia, as Sally Caroline Quillian.
Her father, J. Kelley Quillian, was an attorney and later a judge on the Georgia Court of Appeals; her mother, Xara “Mickey” Quillian (née Terrell), worked as an interior designer.
Her grandmother was among the first women admitted to the Georgia Bar, although she did not practice as an attorney, instead working as a legal secretary.
Yates attended Dunwoody High School in Georgia.
She earned her B.A. in Journalism from the University of Georgia in 1982.
In 1986, she graduated magna cum laude with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from the University of Georgia School of Law, serving as executive editor of the Georgia Law Review.
Early Legal Career & Federal Prosecution
After passing the Georgia bar in 1986, Yates entered private practice at the prominent law firm King & Spalding in Atlanta, focusing on commercial litigation.
In 1989, she joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia as an Assistant U.S. Attorney under Bob Barr.
She handled a variety of cases including white-collar fraud, public corruption, and major prosecutions.
Notably, she was the lead prosecutor in the case against Eric Rudolph, the Olympic Park bomber, who was convicted for a series of bombings including at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.
She rose through leadership roles in the U.S. Attorney’s Office: chief of the Fraud & Public Corruption Section, First Assistant U.S. Attorney, and in 2004, Acting U.S. Attorney for a brief period.
U.S. Attorney & Deputy Attorney General
In 2010, President Barack Obama nominated Yates to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia; she was confirmed and became the first woman to hold that position.
In that role, she also served on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee, where she contributed to national-level DOJ priorities.
In May 2015, Yates was confirmed by the Senate (84–12 vote) as the 36th Deputy Attorney General of the United States, making her the second-ranking official in the Department of Justice.
As Deputy AG, she oversaw day-to-day operations of the Justice Department, which included roughly 113,000 employees.
One significant policy she authored is the “Yates Memo,” which prioritized holding corporate executives personally accountable for misconduct in federal prosecutions.
Acting Attorney General & the Travel Ban Stand
Upon the inauguration of President Donald Trump and the departure of Attorney General Loretta Lynch on January 20, 2017, Yates became Acting U.S. Attorney General.
One of her earliest actions in the role involved Executive Order 13769, which restricted entry to the U.S. from several Muslim-majority countries and paused refugee admissions.
Yates directed the Department of Justice not to defend the executive order in court, stating she was not convinced it was lawful or consistent with the Constitution.
In response, President Trump dismissed her on January 30, 2017, accusing her of insubordination.
Her action and dismissal earned her acclaim among legal scholars, activists, and politicians for defending the independence of the DOJ.
During her brief time in that role, Yates also warned the White House that Michael Flynn, then National Security Advisor, had misled officials about his contacts with Russia and might be vulnerable to blackmail—a warning that later became a key element in scrutiny of the Trump administration’s Russia ties.
Later Career & Current Work
After leaving the Department of Justice, Yates rejoined the private sector. She became a partner at King & Spalding in Atlanta, leading their Special Matters & Government Investigations and Crisis Management practices.
She also lectured at Georgetown University Law Center.
In 2021, Yates was appointed by the U.S. Soccer Federation to lead an independent investigation into misconduct in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). The resulting report revealed widespread abuse, sexual coercion, and institutional failures within the league.
She has also been considered a candidate for Attorney General in the Biden administration and participated in the Biden-Harris transition advisory team.
Personality, Principles & Challenges
Yates is widely seen as a principled legal professional who places institutional integrity, the rule of law, and constitutional limits above political loyalty.
Her willingness to challenge a presidential order at personal risk illustrates her commitment to the DOJ’s independence.
Critics have argued that a DOJ official should resign rather than refuse an administration’s legal position, or that Yates’ stand injected politics into what is supposed to be a neutral legal office.
Nonetheless, many legal scholars and public figures have praised her as a “profile in courage” for defending legal norms.
Notable Quotes
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When testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Yates stated she would have an obligation to follow the law and Constitution, even against a president if necessary.
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In her letter to DOJ attorneys about Executive Order 13769, she wrote:
“At present, I am not convinced that the defense of the executive order is consistent with [the Department’s] solemn obligation to always seek justice and stand for what is right.”
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In interviews after her dismissal, Yates said: “I didn’t feel like I would be doing my job if I just essentially said ‘I’m out of here …’ That would have protected my personal integrity, but it wouldn’t have protected the integrity of the Department of Justice.”
Lessons & Legacy
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Institutional Independence Matters
Yates’ stand reminds us that even high-level officials must sometimes resist orders inconsistent with legal or constitutional constraints. -
Courage Has a Cost
Her career shows that doing what one believes lawful can provoke backlash but also earn lasting respect. -
Blurring of Law and Politics
Her experience illustrates how the Department of Justice can become a battleground for political vs. legal loyalties. -
Leadership Through Example
Her decisions and public demeanor have made her a role model for lawyers, public servants, and advocates of checks and balances.