The Department of Justice litigates for all U.S. citizens by enforcing the law and defending the interests of the United States according to the law; ensuring public safety against threats foreign and domestic; providing federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime; seeking just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior; defending federal agencies and officials; and ensuring fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans.

Please also see Cases and Legal Documents.

Office of the Solicitor General | United States Attorneys | Antitrust Division | Civil Division | Civil Rights Division | Criminal Division | Environment and Natural Resources Division | National Security Division | Tax Division

Office of the Solicitor General

The Office of the Solicitor General is tasked to conduct all litigation on behalf of the United States in the Supreme Court, and to supervise the handling of litigation in the federal appellate courts.

Briefs

United States Attorneys

The United States Attorneys serve as the nation's principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. There are 93 United States Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands. United States Attorneys are appointed by, and serve at the discretion of, the President of the United States, with advice and consent of the United States Senate.

Antitrust Division

The Antitrust Division prosecutes serious and willful violations of the antitrust laws by filing criminal suits that can lead to large fines and jail sentences. Where criminal prosecution is not appropriate, the Division institutes a civil action seeking a court order forbidding future violations of the law and requiring steps to remedy the anti-competitive effects of past violations.

Antitrust Case Filings
Appellate Briefs

Civil Division

The Civil Division represents the United States, its departments and agencies, Members of Congress, Cabinet officers and other Federal employees. Its litigation reflects the diversity of government activities, involving, for example, the defense of challenges to Presidential actions; national security issues; benefit programs; energy policies; commercial issues such as contract disputes, banking insurance, patents, fraud, and debt collection; all manner of accident and liability claims; and criminal violations of the immigration and consumer protection laws. Each year, Division attorneys handle thousands of cases that collectively involve billions of dollars in claims and recoveries. The Division confronts significant policy issues, which often rise to constitutional dimensions, in defending and enforcing various Federal programs and actions.

Civil Fraud - Recent Cases
Office of Consumer Litigation
Constitutional Torts
Litigation Against Tobacco Companies

Civil Rights Division

The Civil Rights Division is committed to upholding the civil and constitutional rights of all Americans, including some of the most vulnerable members of our society. Founded in 1957, our proud mission remains vitally important today. The federal anti-discrimination statutes that we enforce reflect some of America’s highest ideals and aspirations: equal treatment and equal justice under law.

Cases and Briefs
ADA Settlements and Consent Decrees
Special Litigation

Criminal Division

The Criminal Division (CRM) develops, enforces, and supervises the application of all federal criminal laws except those specifically assigned to other divisions. The Division and the 93 U.S. Attorneys have the responsibility for overseeing criminal matters under the more than 900 statutes as well as certain civil litigation. 

U.S. v. I. Lewis Libby
U.S. v. Theodore F. Stevens

Environment and Natural Resources Division

The Environment and Natural Resources Division oversees environmental litigation involving the United States arising under more than 150 federal statutes. These statutes include the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, CERCLA (Superfund), the Endangered Species Act, NEPA, and many others. The Division’s work spans affirmative civil suits to stop polluters and recover clean-up costs; criminal enforcement prosecutions; defending federal agencies in their administration of federal programs, including management of federal lands and other natural resources; defending federal regulatory agencies that issue environmental regulations; litigation relating to tribes and their lands; condemnations of land for public uses; and appellate cases in these areas.

Legal Documents
Proposed Consent Decrees

National Security Division

The National Security Division merges the primary national security elements of the Department of Justice, fulfilling a key recommendation of the March 2005 report of the Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD Commission). The NSD provides legal representation and counsel to agencies within the Intelligence Community, represent the United States before the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC, and coordinates and supervises intelligence-related litigation matters.

Tax Division

The Tax Division's mission is to enforce the nation's tax laws fully, fairly, and consistently, through both criminal and civil litigation, in order to promote compliance with the tax laws and maintain confidence in the integrity of the tax system.

Tax Division’s Program to Shut Down Schemes & Scams