The nomination of Melissa Holyoak to serve as the United States Attorney for the District of Utah has progressed to the full Senate for consideration. Holyoak, who has been serving as the interim U.S. Attorney since November 17, 2025, was appointed to this role by Attorney General Pamela Bondi. Prior to her interim appointment, she was a Commissioner at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), a position she held from March 2024 until her departure to assume the interim U.S. Attorney role.
Holyoak’s legal career is marked by significant experience in both public service and private practice. Before her tenure at the FTC, she served as Solicitor General with the Utah Attorney General’s Office, overseeing divisions including civil and criminal appeals, constitutional defense, special litigation, antitrust, and data privacy. Her responsibilities also encompassed managing multistate matters related to consumer protection and antitrust claims. Additionally, Holyoak has experience as president and general counsel of the Hamilton Lincoln Law Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based public interest law firm, and has held positions with the Competitive Enterprise Institute and the Center for Class Action Fairness. She has represented class members challenging unfair class actions and consumers contesting regulatory overreach in federal courts nationwide.
Holyoak earned both her undergraduate and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of Utah. She is a member of the Utah, District of Columbia, and Missouri (inactive) bars. Her nomination to the permanent U.S. Attorney position was received by the Senate on January 29, 2026, and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. The committee has since advanced her nomination to the full Senate for a vote. If confirmed, Holyoak will continue to lead the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah, overseeing federal prosecutions and representing the United States in civil litigation within the district.