What is the Department of Justice?
Answer
Responsible for law enforcement and the judicial system
Explanation
The Department of Justice is the federal department responsible for law enforcement and the administration of justice at the federal level. It is led by the Attorney General, who is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States and a member of the President's Cabinet. The Department of Justice was formally established by Congress in 1870, though the office of Attorney General dates back to 1789, when it was created as a part-time position. Edmund Randolph served as the first Attorney General.
The department's headquarters is the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building in Washington, D.C., named after the former Attorney General who served from 1961 to 1964. The Department of Justice oversees several major federal law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshals Service. It also operates the Federal Bureau of Prisons, which runs the federal prison system, and the Office of Justice Programs, which provides grants to state and local law enforcement.
The department's responsibilities include investigating and prosecuting federal crimes, defending the United States in court, representing the federal government before the Supreme Court (a role held by the Solicitor General), enforcing federal civil rights laws, defending federal regulatory actions, supervising federal grand juries, and providing legal advice to the President and other federal officials through the Office of Legal Counsel. The Department of Justice prosecutes federal crimes through 93 U.S. Attorneys, one for each federal judicial district, who serve under the Attorney General. The Solicitor General argues cases for the federal government before the Supreme Court and decides which cases to appeal.
Notable recent Attorneys General include Eric Holder, Jeff Sessions, William Barr, Merrick Garland, and Pam Bondi. The department's independence from political interference, particularly in criminal prosecutions, has been a recurring topic of public debate, especially during politically charged investigations.
Why this matters for your test
The Department of Justice handles federal crimes, civil rights enforcement, and the administration of justice across the country, all areas central to the rule of law.
Source: USCIS 128 Civics Questions (2025)
