Department+of+Justice

**The Attorney General** Eric H. Holder, Jr., the 82nd Attorney General of the United States was sworn in by Vice President Joe Biden in 2009. In 1997, Bill Clinton named Holder as the Deputy Attorney General (the first African-American appointed to that position), and previously, he had served as U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. One year later, President Reagan nominated Holder to become an Associate Judge of the District of Columbia's Superior Court. Hailing from New York City, Holder graduated from Stuyvesant High School to attend Columbia College, where he majored in American history and graduated in 1973. He went on to graduate from Columbia's law school three years later. During his time in law school, Holder clerked at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the Department of Justice's Criminal Division. After moving to Washington and joining the Attorney General's Honors Program, he was appointed to the Public Integrity Section in 1976 and was charged with investigating and prosecuting corruption on all levels of government. He now resides with his wife, Dr. Sharon Malone, and their three children. Click the image of Holder below to watch his address to the Department of Justice following his swearing in, promising a new era of integrity.

//The Mission Statement of the Department of Justice:// //To enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the law; to ensure public safety against threats foreign and domestic; to provide federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime; to seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior; and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans.// **A Brief History of the Department of Justice **  The Office of the Attorney General was established by the Judiciary Act of 1789. Initially a part-time occupation, the Attorney General's responsibility was "to prosecute and conduct all suits in the Supreme Court in which the United States shall be concerned, and to give his advice and opinion upon questions of law when required by the President of the United States..." Because this great burden of work was too much for one person, reliable and efficient assistants were hired for the Attorney General, in addition to private attorneys. In 1870, following the Civil War and the gargantuan amount of litigation involving the United States, Congress passed the Act to Establish the Department of Justice, organizing it as "an executive department of the government of the United States", with the Attorney General at its forefront. It officially came into existence on July 1, 1870, and it was meant to handle the legal business of the United States. The 1870 Act granted the department say over all criminal prosecutions and civil suits, in addition to giving the Attorney General and the Department control over federal law enforcement. To help the Attorney General, the Act also called for the Office of the Solicitor General, who represents the federal government before the United States Supreme Court. Although there have been changes over the years, including the addition of dozens of subdivisions, the 1870 Act is still considered to be the foundation upon which the Department of Justice exists. One thing that remains unchanged is the intense workload of the department, having become the world's largest law office and the central agency for law enforcement. ** Some Department Goals Examined ** Department of Justice Goals and Objectives Examining the goals of the department for the 2007-2012 fiscal years, one can easily identify the priorities of the President, Attorney General, and the rest of the Department of Justice. They adapt to the ever-evolving conditions of the United States, and some of the major themes of the department objectives include partnerships, leadership, integrity, and preparedness. The department remains committed to strengthening collaborative efforts with other federal agencies, states and localities, tribal governments, community groups, and foreign countries. They also want to retain commitment to the deterrence of recently emerging crime threats, including those posed by new technology and criminal strategy. Their most prevalent goal is perhaps the prevention of terrorism and promoting national security. To achieve this, some of the things they would do include prosecuting those who have committed,or intend to commit, acts of terrorism in the United States, and strengthening partnerships to prevent, deter, and respond to terrorist incidents. To enforce federal laws and represent the interests of the American people best, the DOJ would prevent, suppress, and intervene in crimes against children, reduce the threat and related violence of illegal drugs, combat public and corporate corruption and fraud, and ensure the effective operation of the nation's bankruptcy system, among other things. In addition, to ensure the fair administration of justice, the DOJ would like to protect judges, witnesses, and other participants in federal proceedings, guarantee the apprehension of fugitives from justice, adjudicate all immigration cases hastily and impartially, and uphold the rights and improve services to victims of American crime.