A former Salt Lake City attorney has been chosen to be the chief of staff for the U.S. Department of Justice.

U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales announced Friday the appointment of D. Kyle Sampson to succeed Theodore W. Ullyot, who is stepping down to return to the private sector, according to a press release.

Sampson has served as deputy chief of staff and counselor to the U.S. attorney general since February 2005. He also serves as chairman of the U.S. Justice Department's Task Force on Intellectual Property and as a special assistant U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia.

Sampson was appointed counselor to former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft in 2003.

Prior to joining the Justice Department, Sampson served in the White House as associate counsel to President Bush and served as counsel to Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch on the Senate Judiciary Committee from 1999 to 2001.

Earlier, he practiced law in Salt Lake City at the firm of Parr Waddoups Brown Gee & Loveless. He earned his law degree from the University of Chicago and his undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University.