Executive Office for United States Attorneys

EOUSA Organizational Chart 

The Executive Office for United States Attorneys (EOUSA) was created on April 6, 1953, by AG Order No. 8-53 to provide for close liaison between the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Washington, D.C., and the 93 United States Attorneys located throughout the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Marianas Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U. S. Virgin Islands.

The Executive Office for United States Attorneys shall be under the direction of a Director who shall:

• Provide general executive assistance and supervision to the offices of the U.S. Attorneys, including:

  • Evaluating the performance of the offices of the U.S. Attorneys, making appropriate reports and inspections and taking corrective action where indicated.

  • Coordinating and directing the relationship of the offices of the U.S. Attorneys with other organizational units of the Department of Justice.

• Publish and maintain the Justice Manual and other guidance for the U.S. Attorneys' offices and those other organizational units of the Department concerned with litigation.

• Supervise the operation of the Office of Legal Education, which shall provide training to all Department of Justice attorney and non-attorney legal personnel and publish the Department of Justice Journal of Federal Law and Practice.

• Provide the Attorney General's Advisory Committee of United States Attorneys with such staff assistance and funds as are reasonably necessary to carry out the Committee's responsibilities (28 CFR 0.10(d)).

• Establish policy and procedures for the satisfaction, collection, or recovery of criminal fines, special assessments, penalties, interest, bail bond forfeitures, restitution, and court costs in criminal cases consistent with 28 CFR § 0.171.

The major functions of EOUSA are to:

• Provide support to the Deputy Attorney General regarding United States Attorney appointments.
• Provide general direction and supervision of the management and policy activities of the United States Attorneys’ financial litigation programs, including the establishment of policy and procedures for debt collection activities, affirmative civil enforcement and bankruptcy litigation, litigative and technical support, training, publication of 5 newsletters, coordination and implementation of legislative initiatives and the establishment of guidelines, and procedures on criminal fine collection issues.
• Provide general legal interpretations, opinions, and advice to United States Attorneys in areas of recusals, cross-designations, outside activities, representation, allegations of misconduct, adverse actions, grievances, labor relations, and ethical and conflict of interest questions.
• Provide general support to the United States Attorneys in matters involving Assistant United States Attorney and Special Assistant United States Attorney appointments.
• Provide overall administrative management oversight and support to the United States Attorneys in the program areas of facilities management (to include acquisition of real property/space, construction, renovation, repair, and relocation); and support service programs (to include personal property management, small purchases procurement, motor vehicle support, telephone systems, printing, and records disposition).
• Provide overall management oversight and support to the United States Attorneys in the area of security programs (to include physical security, information security, communications, security, security awareness and safety).
• Analyze, design, and provide automated services and systems in support of the litigation mission and of selected administrative functions of the United States Attorneys' offices including development, implementation, and monitoring of policies and programs for office automation, systems development activities, and data base maintenance.
• Design, develop, and support the operations and software for caseload and collections systems and administrative/litigative applications in the districts and in central systems; provide technical assistance; produce the Annual Statistical Report; and monitor the quality of the data of the USAOs.
• Support the USAOs in the conduct of their law enforcement coordination programs.
• Serve as the liaison on victim-witness assistance activities within the USAOs, supporting the United States Attorneys in their work relating to these matters.
• Provide budget and fiscal assistance and guidance to the 94 USAOs.
• Respond to requests under the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act (FOIA/PA) on behalf of the USAOs, coordinate and respond to litigation arising from these matters, and provide advice and training to the United States Attorneys’ staffs relating to FOIA/PA.
• Respond to inquiries from members of Congress and private citizens and review and comment on legislative and regulatory proposals relating to the activities of the USAOs.

United States Attorneys
The United States Attorneys serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. United States Attorneys are Presidentially-appointed, Senate-confirmed and they serve at the pleasure of the President of the United States. There are 93 United States Attorneys stationed throughout the United States and its territories; one U.S. Attorney is assigned to each of the 94 judicial districts, with the exception of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, where a single United States Attorney serves in both districts. Each U.S. Attorney is the chief federal law enforcement officer of the United States within his or her jurisdiction.

United States Attorneys oversee most of the trial work in which the United States is a party. United States Attorneys have three statutory responsibilities under Title 28, Section 547 of the United States Code:

• The prosecution of criminal cases brought by the Federal Government;
   
• The prosecution and defense of civil cases in which the United States is a party; and
   
• The collection of debts owed to the Federal Government that are administratively uncollectible.

Although the distribution of caseload varies between districts, each handles every category of cases, including a mixture of simple and complex litigation. Each United States Attorney exercises wide discretion in the use of his or her resources to further the priorities of the local jurisdictions and the needs of their communities.

Executive Office for United States Attorneys District Field Offices

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