Department of Justice
The Department of Justice traces its beginning to the First Congress meeting in New York in 1789, at which
time the Congress devoted itself to creating the infrastructure for operating the Federal Government. After
meeting for several months the legislators passed a bill known as the Judiciary Act that provided for the
organization and administration of the judicial branch of the new government, and included in that Act was a
provision for appointment of a “…meet person learned in the law, to act as attorney-general for
the United States…” Although it would be nearly another century before Congress would create the
Department of Justice, the establishment of the Attorney General position marks the true beginning of the
Department. The Judiciary Act was passed by Congress and signed by President George Washington on September 24, 1789,
making the Attorney General position the fourth in the order of creation by Congress of those positions that
have come to be defined as Cabinet level positions.
Attorneys General
Solicitors General
Antitrust Division
- Timeline of Antitrust Enforcement Highlights HTML PDF
Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives
Community
Oriented Policing Services (COPS)
Drug Enforcement
Administration
Environment and Natural Resources Division
Federal
Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau
of Prisons
Immigration
and Naturalization Service
On March 1, 2003, the Immigration and Naturalization Service became part
of the Department of Homeland Security
National Institute
of Justice
U.S. Marshals
Service
U.S. Parole Commission
|