FREE ESSAY ON DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Department of Justice 
It is the executive department of the United States federal government, created by
Congress in 1870 to assume the functions performed until then by the Office of the
Attorney General. The department is headed by the attorney general, which is appointed by
the president with the approval of the Senate. 
The Attorney General is Janet Reno she receives 181, 500 a year.
The functions of the department include providing means for the enforcement of federal
laws and investigating violations thereof; supervising the federal penal institutions;
furnishing legal counsel in cases involving the federal government and conducting all
suits brought before the U.S. Supreme Court in which the federal government is concerned;
interpreting laws relating to the activities of the other federal departments; and
rendering legal advice, upon request, to the president and to cabinet members.
The deputy attorney general and the associate attorney general assist the attorney
general. Another high-ranking official of the department is the solicitor general, who
directs all U.S. government litigation in the Supreme Court and who is concerned
generally with the conduct of the appellate litigation of the government. Assistant
attorneys general head most of the divisions of the Justice Department. The functions of
the department are carried out regionally by U.S. attorneys and U.S. marshals; one of
each is appointed to the 94 federal judicial districts by the president, with the consent
of the Senate.
The department includes the antitrust, civil, civil rights, criminal, environment and
natural resources, and tax divisions, as well as administrative offices. The Antitrust
Division is charged with the enforcement of the federal antitrust laws and related
enactment's against industrial and commercial monopolies; the most important of these
laws are the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 and the Clayton Act of 1914. The Civil
Division and its seven major branches supervise all matters relating to civil suits and
claims involving the U.S. and its departments, agencies, and officers. Among the varied
areas of litigation handled by the Civil Division are patents and copyrights, fraud, tort
claims, customs and immigration, international trade, veterans' affairs, and consumer
affairs. The Civil Rights Division is responsible for enforcing the Civil Rights Acts of
1957, 1960, 1964, and 1968; the Voting Rights Act of 1965; the Equal Educational
Opportunities Act of 1974; the Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1976; the Civil Rights of
Institutionalized Persons Act of 1980; and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
In addition, it is charged with eliminating discrimination in programs that receive
federal financial assistance.
The Criminal Division is entrusted with enforcing federal criminal statutes relating to
such matters as organized crime, kidnapping, bank robbery, fraud against the government,
racketeering, obscenity, corruption among public officials, narcotics and dangerous
drugs, and certain civil matters such as extradition proceedings and seizure actions
under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act. The Internal Security Section of the
division is charged with the investigation and prosecution of all cases affecting
national security (including espionage and sabotage), foreign relations, and the illegal
export of strategic commodities and technology. The Environment and Natural Resources
Division represents the U.S. in litigation involving public lands and natural resources,
Native American lands and claims, wildlife resources, and environmental quality,
including enforcement of the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and similar federal laws
and of regulations promulgated by the Environmental Protection Agency. The Tax Division
conducts all civil and criminal litigation arising out of the internal revenue laws,
other than proceedings in the U.S. Tax Court. The Office of Policy and Communications
oversees policy development, public affairs, and other administrative areas.
Other agencies include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which investigates violations
of federal laws and collects evidence in cases in which the U.S. may be involved; the
Bureau of Prisons; the U.S. Parole Commission, which has the authority to release federal
prisoners before they complete their entire sentences; the Office of Justice Programs,
which provides financial and technical assistance to state and local law enforcement,
supports research into justice issues, and accumulates and disseminates criminal justice
statistics; the U.S. Marshals Service, which provides protection and other services for
the federal courts and responds to emergency situations related to law enforcement; the
Drug Enforcement Administration; the Immigration and Naturalization Service; the
Executive Office for Immigration Review; the Office of Special Counsel for
Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices; the U.S. National Central
Bureau-International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol); and the Foreign Claims
Settlement Commission.
Special sections include the Community Relations Service, which mediates racial disputes
in U.S. communities; the pardon attorney, who receives and investigates applications to
the president for pardon or clemency; the U.S. Trustee program, which supervises the
administration of bankruptcy cases and trustees; and the Executive Office for U.S.
Attorneys, which provides executive assistance to and oversight of the offices of U.S.
attorneys throughout the nation.