USDOJ: Department of Justice Office of the Deputy Attorney General

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The Deputy Attorney General advises and assists the Attorney General in formulating and implementing Departmental policies and programs and in providing overall supervision and direction to all organizational units of the Department. The Deputy Attorney General is authorized to exercise all the power and authority of the Attorney General, except where such power or authority is prohibited by law from delegation or has been delegated to another official. In the absence of the Attorney General, the Deputy Attorney General acts as the Attorney General.

Photo of Deputy Attorney General David Ogden

David W. Ogden was sworn in as Deputy Attorney General of the United States on March 13, 2009.

Mr. Ogden has worked in both the public and private sectors. Mr. Ogden served the federal government from 1994 to 2001. He served as Deputy General Counsel and Legal Counsel at the Department of Defense (1994-1995). Then, at the Department of Justice, he served as Associate Deputy Attorney General (1995-1997), Chief of Staff and Counselor to Attorney General Janet Reno (1997-1999), and Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Division (1999-2001). He has received numerous awards and honors for his public service, including the Edmund Randolph Award for Outstanding Service to the Department of Justice, the Attorney General’s Medallion, and the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service.

Prior to his confirmation as Deputy Attorney General, Mr. Ogden was a partner at the law firm of WilmerHale, which he joined in 2001. He was co-chair of the firm’s Government and Regulatory Litigation Practice Group and handled international legal disputes, regulatory litigation, and government investigations. Mr. Ogden previously had been a partner at the law firms of Jenner & Block (1988-1994) and Ennis, Friedman & Bersoff (1983-1988).

Mr. Ogden graduated from the University of Pennsylvania (summa cum laude) in 1976 and Harvard Law School (magna cum laude) in 1981. Following his graduation, he served as a law clerk to Judge Abraham D. Sofaer of the United States District Court, Southern District of New York (1981-1982) and United States Supreme Court Justice Harry A. Blackmun (1982-1983).

He is married and has three children.


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