Irving Saypol was the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and the Chief Prosecutor of the Rosenbergs and Sobell. Saypol graduated from Brooklyn Law School and quickly rose through the ranks of the United States Attorney's office. Saypol was an experienced prosecutor of Communists, as he had convicted Alger Hiss, William Remington, Abraham Brothman and others prior to taking on the Rosenberg case. Part of his success was attributable to his sincere belief that he was punishing evil. His success in the Rosenberg trial accelerated his career, Saypol was appointed to the New York Supreme Court just months after the trial.