After being appointed as a United States attorney in the Northern District of Georgia by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1905, Tate was reappointed to that position by President Howard Taft and served in that post until 1913.
Tate's career advancement led to his selection as U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia under President Theodore Roosevelt in 1905, a position he held again after being reselected by President Howard Taft until 1913.