JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is the EXECUTIVE BRANCH department responsible for handling the legal work of the federal government.
Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the DOJ is the largest legal organization in the United States, with more than 100,000 employees nationwide and a budget of approximately $30 billion.
The DOJ comprises many administrative
units whose responsibilities involve either repre-
senting the United States’ interests in court or
enforcing federal laws.Many of the department’s
activities involve traditional legal and investiga-
tive functions, such as filing suits on behalf of the
United States or apprehending criminals. Other
department functions are administrative. For
example, the Office of Policy Development is
devoted to long-term policy planning.
Department Leadership
At the top of the department is the attorney
general, who is appointed by the president and
must be confirmed by the Senate. A key member
of the president’s cabinet, the attorney general
supervises the many divisions, bureaus, and
offices of the DOJ. Unlike other cabinet mem-
bers, however, the attorney general also func-
tions as a practicing attorney, serving as the
president’s legal adviser.
Below the attorney general are the deputy
attorney general, the associate attorney general,
and the SOLICITOR GENERAL. Although the
deputy attorney general is officially the second-
highest position at the DOJ, the office of associ-
ate attorney general, created in 1977, is often
considered to be equally powerful. The deputy
attorney general and the associate attorney gen-
eral divide the department’s administrative
responsibilities between them, providing direc-
tion to the organizational units in the depart-
ment. They also advise the attorney general on
policy matters. The solicitor general is primarily
responsible for supervising and conducting gov-
ernment litigation before the federal appellate
courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court.
Department Structure
The DOJ is composed of several different
units, including divisions, bureaus, and offices.
The government’s legal business is handled by the
department’s six litigating divisions: Antitrust,
Civil, CIVIL RIGHTS, Criminal, Environment and
Natural Resources, and Tax. Each of these divi-
sions is headed by an assistant attorney general.
These divisions handle cases involving the United
States that have a broad legal impact.
Nationwide, the government is represented
by ninety-five U.S. attorneys, who conduct all
federal court cases and some federal investiga-
