US Department of Justice
Overview
The Department of Justice is the federal government's primary law enforcement and legal agency, established in 1870 to centralize federal legal work under the attorney general. It enforces federal laws, protects civil rights, and represents the United States in court through 94 district offices nationwide. The DOJ oversees major law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, DEA, ATF, US Marshals Service, and Federal Bureau of Prisons, with more than 115,000 employees and a fiscal 2024 budget of $44B.
The department's scope has significantly expanded over time, from early civil rights prosecutions during the Reconstruction era to post-9/11 counterterrorism initiatives. Its Civil Rights Division has enforced major laws, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Watergate scandal in the 1970s, which revealed efforts to use the DOJ for political purposes, led to reforms aimed at insulating the department from White House interference.
Since President Trump took office in 2025, the DOJ has undergone leadership and personnel changes, resulting in a decline in its career workforce. Critics have raised concerns about the department's independence from the White House; the Trump administration has argued it is removing politically compromised officials and refocusing the DOJ on its core law enforcement mission.
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