Chapter 08 What Agency Am I?

I supervise and conduct government litigation in the U.S. Supreme Court. My chief officer determines the cases in which the government will seek Supreme Court review and the positions the government will take before the court. My staff attorneys help to prepare the petitions, briefs, and other papers filed by the government in Supreme Court litigation. I review all cases decided adversely to the government in the lower courts to determine whether they should be appealed and, if so, what position should be taken. My chief officer also determines whether the government will participate as an amicus curiae or intervene in cases in any appellate court.

I handle the application of all federal criminal laws except those specifically assigned to other divisions. I oversee criminal matters as well as certain civil litigation. In addition to my direct litigation responsibilities, I formulate and implement criminal enforcement policy and provide advice and assistance. I approve or monitor sensitive areas of law enforcement such as participation in the Witness Security Program and the use of electronic surveillance; advise the attorney general, Congress, the Office of Management Budget, and the White House on matters of criminal law; provide legal advice and assistance to federal prosecutors and investigative agencies; and provide leadership for coordinating international as well as federal, state, and local law enforcement matters. 

I was authorized in 1816, and my jurisdiction ranges from criminal justice to antitrust and intellectual property law. One of my duties is to conduct confirmation hearings for judicial nominees to the Supreme Court, court of appeals, and district court.