Robert S. Mueller, III
Director
September 4, 2001- Present
Robert
Mueller was nominated by President George W. Bush and
became the sixth Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
on September 4, 2001.
Born
in New York City, Mr. Mueller grew up outside of Philadelphia.
He graduated from Princeton University in 1966 and later
earned a master's degree in International Relations
at New York University.
After
college, he joined the United States Marine Corps, where
he served as an officer for three years, leading a rifle
platoon of the Third Marine Division in Vietnam. He
is the recipient of the Bronze Star, two Navy Commendation
Medals, the Purple Heart, and the Vietnamese Cross of
Gallantry.
Following
his military service, Mr. Mueller earned a law degree
from the University of Virginia Law School in 1973 and
served on the Law Review.
After
completing his education, Mr. Mueller worked as a litigator
in San Francisco until 1976. He then served for 12 years
in United States Attorney's Offices, first in the Northern
District of California in San Francisco, where he rose
to be chief of its criminal division. In 1982, he moved
to Boston as an Assistant United States Attorney where
he investigated and prosecuted major financial fraud,
terrorist, and public corruption cases, as well as narcotics
conspiracies and international money launderers.
After
serving as a partner at the Boston law firm of Hill
and Barlow, Mr. Mueller returned to public service.
In 1989 he served in the United States Department of
Justice as an assistant to Attorney General Richard
L. Thornburgh. The following year he took charge of
its Criminal Division. In 1991, he was elected Fellow
of the American College of Trial Lawyers.
In
1993, Mr. Mueller became a partner at Boston's Hale
and Dorr, specializing in complex white collar crime
litigation. He again returned to public service in 1995 as
senior litigator in the Homicide Section of the District
of Columbia United States Attorney's Office. In 1998,
Mr. Mueller was named United States Attorney in San
Francisco and held that position until 2001.
Mr.
Mueller and his wife, Ann, have two daughters.
FBI History
