| Department of Justice |
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| Secretary: | Pam Bondi |
| Year created: | 1789 |
| Official website: | Justice.gov |
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
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| Department Secretaries
Marco Rubio • Scott Bessent • Pete Hegseth • Pam Bondi • Doug Burgum • Brooke Rollins • Lori Chavez-DeRemer • Robert F. Kennedy Jr. • Scott Turner • Howard Lutnick • Sean Duffy • Chris Wright • Linda McMahon • Doug Collins • Kristi Noem
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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]
Pam Bondi is the U.S. attorney general. Click here to learn more about her confirmation process.
History[edit]
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[edit]
The official department mission statement is as follows:
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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]
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”
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| —Department of Justice[3]
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Leadership[edit]
| 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 |
2021-2025 |
Joe Biden |
70-30
|
| James McHenry (acting) |
2025-2025 |
Donald Trump |
N/A
|
| Pam Bondi |
2025-present |
Donald Trump |
54-46
|
| Historical Attorneys General
|
| Attorney General |
Years in office |
Nominated by |
Confirmation vote
|
| Edmund Randolph |
1789-1794 |
George Washington |
N/A
|
| William Bradford |
1794-1795 |
George Washington |
N/A
|
| Charles Lee |
1795-1801 |
George Washington |
N/A
|
| Levi Lincoln |
1801-1805 |
Thomas Jefferson |
N/A
|
| John Breckinridge |
1805-1807 |
Thomas Jefferson |
N/A
|
| Caesar A. Rodney |
1807-1811 |
Thomas Jefferson |
N/A
|
| William Pinkney |
1811-1814 |
James Madison |
N/A
|
| Richard Rush |
1814-1817 |
James Madison |
23-6
|
| William Wirt |
1817-1829 |
James Monroe |
N/A
|
| John M. Berrien |
1829-1831 |
Andrew Jackson |
N/A
|
| Roger B. Taney |
1831-1834 |
Andrew Jackson |
N/A
|
| Benjamin F. Butler |
1834-1838 |
Andrew Jackson |
N/A
|
| Felix Grundy |
1838-1840 |
Martin Van Buren |
|
| Henry D. Gilpin |
1840-1841 |
Martin Van Buren |
|
| John J. Crittenden |
1841 |
William Henry Harrison |
|
| Hugh Swinton Legare |
1841-1843 |
John Tyler |
|
| John Nelson |
1843-1845 |
John Tyler |
|
| John Y. Mason |
1845-1846 |
James K. Polk |
N/A
|
| Nathan Clifford |
1846-1848 |
James K. Polk |
N/A
|
| Isaac Toucey |
1848-1859 |
James K. Polk |
N/A
|
| Reverdy Johnson |
1849-1850 |
Zachary Taylor |
N/A
|
| John J. Crittenden |
1850-1853 |
Millard Fillmore |
|
| Caleb Cushing |
1853-1857 |
Franklin Pierce |
|
| Jeremiah S. Black |
1857-1860 |
James Buchanan |
|
| Edwin M. Stanton |
1860-1861 |
James Buchanan |
|
| Edward Bates |
1861-1864 |
Abraham Lincoln |
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| James Speed |
1864-1866 |
Andrew Johnson |
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| Henry Stanbery |
1866-1868 |
Andrew Johnson |
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| William M. Evarts |
1868-1869 |
Andrew Johnson |
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| Ebenezer R. Hoar |
1869-1870 |
Ulysses S. Grant |
N/A
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| Amos T. Akerman |
1870-1871 |
Ulysses S. Grant |
N/A
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| George Henry Williams |
1871-1875 |
Ulysses S. Grant |
N/A
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| Edwards Pierrepont |
1875-1876 |
Ulysses S. Grant |
N/A
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| Alphonso Taft |
1876-1877 |
Ulysses S. Grant |
N/A
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| Charles Devens |
1877-1881 |
Rutherford B. Hayes |
N/A
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| Wayne MacVeagh |
1881 |
James Garfield |
N/A
|
| Benjamin H. Brewster |
1881-1885 |
Chester A. Arthur |
N/A
|
| Augustus H. Garland |
1885-1889 |
Grover Cleveland |
N/A
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| William H. H. Miller |
1889-1893 |
Benjamin Harrison |
N/A
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| Richard Olney |
1893-1895 |
Grover Cleveland |
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| Judson Harmon |
1895-1897 |
Grover Cleveland |
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| Joseph McKenna |
1897-1898 |
William McKinley |
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| John W. Griggs |
1898-1901 |
William McKinley |
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| Philander C. Knox |
1901-1904 |
Theodore Roosevelt |
N/A
|
| William H. Moody |
1904-1906 |
Theodore Roosevelt |
N/A
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| Charles J. Bonaparte |
1906-1909 |
Theodore Roosevelt |
N/A
|
| George W. Wickersham |
1909-1913 |
William Howard Taft |
N/A
|
| James C. McReynolds |
1913-1914 |
Woodrow Wilson |
N/A
|
| Thomas Watt Gregory |
1914-1919 |
Woodrow Wilson |
N/A
|
| Alexander Mitchell Palmer |
1919-1921 |
Woodrow Wilson |
|
| Harry M. Daugherty |
1921-1924 |
Warren G. Harding |
|
| Harlan F. Stone |
1924-1925 |
Calvin Coolidge |
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| John G. Sargent |
1925-1929 |
Calvin Coolidge |
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| William D. Mitchell |
1929-1933 |
Herbert Hoover |
|
| Homer Stille Cummings |
1933-1939 |
Franklin D. Roosevelt |
N/A
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| Frank Murphy |
1939-1940 |
Franklin D. Roosevelt |
78-7
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| Robert H. Jackson |
1940-1941 |
Franklin D. Roosevelt |
N/A
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| Francis Biddle |
1941-1945 |
Harry Truman |
N/A
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| Tom C. Clark |
1945-1949 |
Harry Truman |
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| J. Howard McGrath |
1949-1952 |
Harry Truman |
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| James P. McGranery |
1952-1953 |
Harry Truman |
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| Herbert Brownell, Jr. |
1953-1957 |
Dwight D. Eisenhower |
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| William P. Rogers |
1957-1961 |
Dwight D. Eisenhower |
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| Robert F. Kennedy |
1961-1964 |
John F. Kennedy |
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| Nicholas Katzenbach |
1965-1966 |
Lyndon B. Johnson |
N/A
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| Ramsey Clark |
1967-1969 |
Lyndon B. Johnson |
N/A
|
| John N. Mitchell |
1969-1972 |
Richard Nixon |
N/A
|
| Richard Kleindienst |
1972-1973 |
Richard Nixon |
64-19
|
| Elliot Richardson |
1973-1973 |
Richard Nixon |
82-3
|
| William B. Saxbe |
1974-1975 |
Gerald Ford |
75-10
|
| Edward H. Levi |
1975-1977 |
Gerald Ford |
N/A
|
| Griffin Bell |
1977-1979 |
Jimmy Carter |
75-21
|
| Benjamin Civiletti |
1979-1981 |
Jimmy Carter |
94-1
|
| William French Smith |
1981-1985 |
Ronald Reagan |
96-1
|
| Edwin Meese |
1985-1988 |
Ronald Reagan |
63-31
|
| Richard L. Thornburgh |
1988-1991 |
George H. W. Bush |
85-0
|
| William P. Barr |
1991-1993 |
George H. W. Bush |
N/A
|
Note: Votes marked "N/A" represent voice votes or unrecorded votes. Missing votes will be filled as they are researched.
Organization[edit]
| Administrative State
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| Read more about the administrative state on Ballotpedia.
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Click here to view the DOJ organization chart.
See also[edit]
- Executive Branch portal
- U.S. Department of Defense
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- U.S. Department of State
- U.S. Department of Commerce
- U.S. Department of Labor
- U.S. Department of Energy
- U.S. Department of Agriculture
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- U.S. Department of the Treasury
- U.S. Department of Education
- U.S. Department of Transportation
- U.S. Department of the Interior
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
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External links[edit]
- Official Department of Justice website
- Department of Justice on Facebook
- Department of Justice on Twitter
- Department of Justice Youtube channel
[edit]
- ↑ U.S. Department of Justice, "Edmund Jennings Randolph," accessed August 22, 2013
- ↑ Department of Justice, "Department of Justice Agencies," accessed August 22, 2013
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 U.S. Department of Justice, "About DOJ," accessed February 26, 2024
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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| The Administrative State |
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| | Main | The Administrative State Project main page • Administrative State Project Index • Glossary of administrative state terms • Quotes about the administrative state • Administrative state • Rulemaking • Deference • Adjudication • Nondelegation doctrine • Ballotpedia's administrative state legislation tracker |  | | | Pillars | Agency control • Executive control • Judicial control • Legislative control • Public control | | | Reporting | Changes to the Federal Register • Completed OIRA review of federal administrative agency rules • Federal agency rules repealed under the Congressional Review Act • Historical additions to the Federal Register, 1936-2016 | | | Laws | Administrative Procedure Act • Antiquities Act • Civil Service Reform Act • Clayton Antitrust Act • Communications Act of 1934 • Congressional Review Act • Electronic Freedom of Information Act • Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938 • Federal Housekeeping Statute • Federal Reserve Act • Federal Trade Commission Act of 1914 • Freedom of Information Act • Government in the Sunshine Act • Independent Offices Appropriations Act of 1952 • Information Quality Act • Interstate Commerce Act • National Labor Relations Act • Paperwork Reduction Act • Pendleton Act • Privacy Act of 1974 • Regulatory Flexibility Act • REINS Act • REINS Act (Wisconsin) • Securities Act of 1933 • Securities Exchange Act of 1934 • Sherman Antitrust Act • Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act • Truth in Regulating Act • Unfunded Mandates Reform Act | | | Cases | Abbott Laboratories v. Gardner • A.L.A. Schechter Poultry Corp. v. United States • Association of Data Processing Service Organizations v. Camp • Auer v. Robbins • Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council • Citizens to Preserve Overton Park v. Volpe • Federal Trade Commission (FTC) v. Standard Oil Company of California • Field v. Clark • Food and Drug Administration v. Brown and Williamson Tobacco Corporation • Humphrey's Executor v. United States • Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) v. Chadha • J.W. Hampton Jr. & Company v. United States • Lucia v. SEC • Marshall v. Barlow's • Massachusetts v. Environmental Protection Agency • Mistretta v. United States • National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) v. Sebelius • National Labor Relations Board v. Noel Canning Company • National Labor Relations Board v. Sears, Roebuck & Co. • Panama Refining Co. v. Ryan • Securities and Exchange Commission v. Chenery Corporation • Skidmore v. Swift & Co. • United States v. Lopez • United States v. Western Pacific Railroad Co. • Universal Camera Corporation v. National Labor Relations Board • Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. Natural Resources Defense Council • Wayman v. Southard • Weyerhaeuser Company v. United States Fish and Wildlife Service • Whitman v. American Trucking Associations • Wickard v. Filburn • Wiener v. United States | | | Terms | Adjudication (administrative state) • Administrative judge • Administrative law • Administrative law judge • Administrative state • Arbitrary-or-capricious test • Auer deference • Barrier to entry • Bootleggers and Baptists • Chevron deference (doctrine) • Civil servant • Civil service • Code of Federal Regulations • Codify (administrative state) • Comment period • Compliance costs • Congressional Record • Coordination (administrative state) • Deference (administrative state) • Direct and indirect costs (administrative state) • Enabling statute • Ex parte communication (administrative state) • Executive agency • Federal law • Federal Register • Federalism • Final rule • Formal rulemaking • Formalism (law) • Functionalism (law) • Guidance (administrative state) • Hybrid rulemaking • Incorporation by reference • Independent federal agency • Informal rulemaking • Joint resolution of disapproval (administrative state) • Major rule • Negotiated rulemaking • Nondelegation doctrine • OIRA prompt letter • Organic statute • Pragmatism (law) • Precautionary principle • Promulgate • Proposed rule • Publication rulemaking • Regulatory budget • Regulatory capture • Regulatory dark matter • Regulatory impact analysis • Regulatory policy officer • Regulatory reform officer • Regulatory review • Rent seeking • Retrospective regulatory review • Risk assessment (administrative state) • Rulemaking • Separation of powers • Significant regulatory action • Skidmore deference • Statutory authority • Substantive law and procedural law • Sue and settle • Sunset provision • Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions • United States Code • United States Statutes at Large | | | Bibliography |
- "Administrative Law - The 20th Century Bequeaths an 'Illegitimate Exotic' in Full and Terrifying Flower" by Stephen P. Dresch (2000)
- "Confronting the Administrative Threat" by Philip Hamburger and Tony Mills (2017)
- "Constitutionalism after the New Deal" by Cass R. Sunstein (1987)
- Federalist No. 23 by Alexander Hamilton (1787)
- "From Administrative State to Constitutional Government" by Joseph Postell (2012)
- "Interring the Nondelegation Doctrine" by Eric A. Posner and Adrian Vermeule (2002)
- "Rulemaking as Legislating" by Kathryn Watts (2015)
- "The Checks & Balances of the Regulatory State" by Paul R. Verkuil (2016)
- "The Myth of the Nondelegation Doctrine" by Keith E. Whittington and Jason Iuliano (2017)
- "The Progressive Origins of the Administrative State: Wilson, Goodnow, and Landis" by Ronald J. Pestritto (2007)
- "The Rise and Rise of the Administrative State" by Gary Lawson (1994)
- "The Study of Administration" by Woodrow Wilson (1887)
- "The Threat to Liberty" by Steven F. Hayward (2017)
- "Why the Modern Administrative State Is Inconsistent with the Rule of Law" by Richard A. Epstein (2008)
| | | Agencies | Administrative Conference of the United States • United States Civil Service Commission • U.S. Government Accountability Office • U.S. Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs • U.S. Office of Management and Budget |
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