United States Department of Justice Civil Division


The United States Department of Justice Civil Division represents the United States, its departments and agencies, members of Congress, cabinet officers, and other federal employees. Led by the United States Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division, the Division's litigation reflects the diversity of government activities, involving, for example, the defense of challenges to presidential actions; national security issues; benefit programs; energy policies; commercial issues such as contract disputes, banking insurance, patents, fraud, and debt collection; all manner of accident and liability claims; enforcement of immigration laws; and civil and criminal violations of consumer protection laws. Each year, Division attorneys handle thousands of cases that collectively involve billions of dollars in claims and recoveries. The Division confronts significant policy issues, which often rise to constitutional dimensions, in defending and enforcing various Federal programs and actions.
In April 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Javier Guzman to lead the division as Assistant Attorney General. That nomination was withdrawn on July 20, 2021.

Organization

The Civil Division is made up of the following offices:
  • Appellate Staff
  • Commercial Litigation Branch
  • *Civil Fraud Section
  • *General Corporate/Financial Litigation Section
  • *Intellectual Property Section
  • *Foreign Litigation Section
  • *National Courts Section
  • Consumer Protection Branch
  • Federal Programs Branch
  • *National Security, Foreign Relations, and Law Enforcement Section
  • *Interstate and Foreign Commerce Section
  • *Government Agencies and Corporations Section
  • *Nondiscrimination Personnel Litigation Section
  • *Discrimination in Employment Litigation Section
  • *Human Resources Section
  • *Interior, Agriculture, and Energy Concerns Section
  • *Housing and Community Development Section
  • *Freedom of Information and Privacy Section
  • *Regulatory Enforcement and Defensive Banking Litigation Section
  • *Disability Litigation Section
  • Office of Immigration Litigation
  • *Appellate Section
  • *District Court Section
  • Office of Management Programs
  • Torts Branch
  • *Aviation, Space & Admiralty Section
  • *Federal Tort Claims Act Section
  • *Environmental Torts Section
  • *Constitutional and Specialized Torts Section
  • *Tobacco Litigation Section

    Office of the Assistant Attorney General

#NameTerm beganTerm endedPresident served under
1Charles B. Rugg19301933Herbert Hoover
2George C. Sweeney19331935Franklin Delano Roosevelt
3Angus D. MacLean1935Franklin Delano Roosevelt
4James W. Morris19351937Franklin Delano Roosevelt
5Sam E. Whitaker19371939Franklin Delano Roosevelt
6Francis M. Shea19391945Franklin Delano Roosevelt
7John F. Sonnett19451947Harry S. Truman
8Peyton Ford19471949Harry S. Truman
9H. Graham Morison19491951Harry S. Truman
10Holmes Baldridge19511953Harry S. Truman
11Warren E. Burger19531956Dwight D. Eisenhower
12George Cochran Doub19561960Dwight D. Eisenhower
13William Horsley Orrick Jr.19611963John F. Kennedy
14John W. Douglas19631966John F. Kennedy
Lyndon B. Johnson
15H. Barefoot Sanders Jr.19661967Lyndon B. Johnson
16Edwin L. Weisl Jr.19671969Lyndon B. Johnson
17William Ruckelshaus19691970Richard M. Nixon
18L. Patrick Gray19701972Richard M. Nixon
19Harlington Wood Jr.19721973Richard M. Nixon
20Carla Anderson Hills19731975Richard M. Nixon
21Rex E. Lee19751977Gerald R. Ford
22Barbara A. Babcock19771979Jimmy Carter
23Alice Daniels19791981Jimmy Carter
24Paul J. McGrath19811985Ronald Reagan
25Richard K. Willard19851988Ronald Reagan
26John R. Bolton19881989Ronald Reagan
27Stuart M. Gerson19891993George H. W. Bush
28Frank W. Hunger19931999Bill Clinton
29David W. Ogden19992001Bill Clinton
30Robert D. McCallum Jr.20012003George W. Bush
31Peter D. Keisler20032007George W. Bush
32Gregory G. Katsas20082009George W. Bush
33Tony West20092012Barack Obama
34Stuart F. Delery20122016Barack Obama
—Benjamin C. Mizer 20162017Barack Obama
—Chad Readler 20172018Donald Trump
35Jody Hunt20182020Donald Trump
—Ethan P. Davis 20202020Donald Trump
—Jeffrey Clark 20202021Donald Trump
—Brian Boynton 20212025Joe Biden
—Yaakov M. Roth 20252025Donald Trump
36Brett A. Shumate2025PresentDonald Trump