U.S. Department of Justice

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Department of Justice
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Secretary:Merrick Garland
Year created:1789
Official website:Justice.gov



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Executive Departments of the United States
Executive Departments
Department of State • Department of the Treasury • Department of Defense • Department of Justice • Department of the Interior • Department of Agriculture • Department of Commerce • Department of Labor • Department of Health and Human Services • Department of Housing and Urban Development • Department of Transportation • Department of Energy • Department of Education • Department of Veterans Affairs • Department of Homeland Security
Department Secretaries
Lloyd Austin • Xavier Becerra • Tony Blinken • Miguel Cardona • Marcia Fudge • Denis McDonough • Pete Buttigieg • Merrick Garland • Jennifer Granholm • Alejandro Mayorkas • Gina Raimondo • Marty Walsh • Tom Vilsack • Janet Yellen

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is a United States executive department formed in 1789 to assist the president and Cabinet in matters concerning the law and to prosecute U.S. Supreme Court cases for the federal government.[1]

The DOJ oversees the following agencies: the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Prisons, and Interpol Washington.[2]

Merrick Garland is the U.S. attorney general. The Senate confirmed him on March 10, 2021, by a vote of 70-30. Click here to learn more about his confirmation process.

History

The Office of the Attorney General was formed under the Judiciary Act of 1789, in order to advise the president on law and to prosecute cases in the Supreme Court.[3] Gradually the office began adding assistants and hiring private lawyers to handle an increasing number of federal cases until 1870, when Congress enacted An Act to Establish the Department of Justice. The department became official on July 1, 1870, and covered all criminal prosecutions and civil suits in which the United States had an interest, became the enforcer of all federal laws, and created the office of solicitor general. The foundation of the department is still based on that act, though it has grown into the largest law office and central enforcer of federal laws in the world.[3]

Mission

The official department mission statement is as follows:

“ The mission of the Department of Justice is to uphold the rule of law, to keep our country safe, and to protect civil rights.[4] ”
—Department of Justice[3]

Leadership

Recent Attorneys General
Attorney General Years in office Nominated by Confirmation vote
Janet Reno 1993-2001 Bill Clinton 98-0
John Ashcroft 2001-2005 George W. Bush 58-42
Alberto Gonzalez 2005-2007 George W. Bush 60-36
Michael Mukasey 2007-2009 George W. Bush 53-40
Eric Holder 2009-2015 Barack Obama 75-21
Loretta Lynch 2015-2017 Barack Obama 56-43
Jeff Sessions 2017-2018 Donald Trump 52-47
William Barr 2019-2020 Donald Trump 54-45
Merrick Garland 2021-Present Joe Biden 70-30


Note: Votes marked "N/A" represent voice votes or unrecorded votes. Missing votes will be filled as they are researched.

Organization

Administrative State
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Read more about the administrative state on Ballotpedia.

Click here to view the DOJ organization chart.

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ U.S. Department of Justice, "Edmund Jennings Randolph," accessed August 22, 2013
  2. ↑ Department of Justice, "Department of Justice Agencies," accessed August 22, 2013
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 U.S. Department of Justice, "About DOJ," accessed February 26, 2024
  4. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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