President Barack Obama Name Stephen Preston Preceded by Steven S. Honigman | President Bill Clinton Preceded by Jeh Johnson Role Lawyer | |
 | ||
Succeeded by John E. Sparks (Acting) Alma mater Yale University (B.A.)
Harvard Law School (J.D.) Education Harvard Law School, Yale University | ||
Stephen W. Preston is a United States lawyer who served as General Counsel of the Navy from 1998 to 2000 and in 2009 was nominated by Barack Obama as General Counsel of the Central Intelligence Agency.
Biography
Stephen W. Preston received his B.A. from Yale University, and then attended Harvard Law School, where he was a member of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau, graduating with a J.D. in 1983.
Preston joined the law firm of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr in 1986.
In 1993, he left WilmerHale to become Principal Deputy General Counsel of the United States Department of Defense, during which time he spent time as acting General Counsel. In 1995, he joined the Civil Division of the United States Department of Justice as Deputy Assistant Attorney General; there, he was responsible for civil appeals.
President of the United States Bill Clinton nominated Preston as General Counsel of the Navy and, after Senate confirmation, Preston held this office from September 28, 1998 until November 17, 2000.
In 2001, he returned to WilmerHale as a partner.
On April 14, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Preston as General Counsel of the Central Intelligence Agency.