# United States Attorney for the Northern District of California

The United States attorney for the Northern District of California is responsible for representing the federal government in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.
The Northern District of California encompasses 15 Northern California counties from Del Norte in the north to Monterey in the south. The District contains three major metropolitan areas in San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose; an expanse of suburban and rural area; and more than 300 public companies centered on Silicon Valley. Nearly 9 million people live, work, and raise their families in the Northern District of California.
In an effort to help protect these individuals, the United States Attorney’s Office prosecutes violations of federal law and represents the United States in civil litigation in the District. The Assistant United States Attorneys (“AUSAs”) who work in the U.S. Attorney's Office prosecute criminal violations, defend civil lawsuits against the United States, and litigate actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers.
As of February 12, 2025 the United States attorney is Patrick Robbins.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California has offices in San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose.

## Divisions

* Criminal Division: Responsible for prosecutions of federal crimes, including bank and bankruptcy fraud; consumer, elder, government, and health care fraud; child exploitation and human trafficking; civil rights; criminal immigration; cybercrimes; environmental crimes; national security; narcotics; public corruption; securities fraud; tax; trade secrets theft; and violent crimes. Sections within the Criminal Division are: Appellate; Asset Forfeiture; General Crimes; Corporate Fraud Strike Force; Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF); Organized Crime Strike Force; Special Prosecutions.
* Civil Division: Responsible for representing the United States in civil suits. The Civil Division includes Civil Defensive, Affirmative Civil Enforcement, and the Financial Litigation Unit.
* Administrative Division: Responsible for providing a full range of office support and employee services.

## Formed

The U.S. Attorney’s Office was formed by Act of September 28, 1850, Chap. 86, P.L. 81-36, 9 Stat. 521.

## Historical list of U.S. Attorneys for the Northern District of California

| U.S. Attorney | Type of Appointment | Date of Commission |
| Calhoun Benham | Presidential | September 28, 1850 |
| Samuel W. Inge | Presidential | April 1, 1853 |
| William Blanding | Presidential | July 15, 1856 |
| Peter Della Torre | Recess | May 19, 1857 |
| Peter Della Torre | Presidential | May 11, 1858 |
| Calhoun Benham | Presidential | May 11, 1860 |
| William H. Sharp | Recess | April 9, 1861 |
| William H. Sharp | Presidential | July 22, 1861 |
| Delos Lake | Presidential | August or September 1864 |
| F.M. Pixley | Recess | May 11, 1868 |
| Lorenzo D. Latimer | Presidential | December 21, 1869 |
| Walter Van Dyke | Presidential | December 18, 1873 |
| John M. Coghlan | Presidential | April 19, 1876 |
| Philip Teare | Presidential | June 15, 1878 |
| Samuel G. Hilborn | Presidential | January 4, 1883 |
| John T. Carey | Recess | November 20, 1886 |
| John T. Carey | Presidential | January 13, 1887 |
| Charles A. Garter | Recess | October 14, 1890 |
| Charles A. Garter | Presidential | December 11, 1890 |
| Samuel Knight | Court | December 11, 1894 |
| Henry S. Foote | Presidential | February 20, 1895 |
| Frank L. Coombs | Presidential | February 14, 1899 |
| Marshall B. Woodworth | Presidential | March 2, 1901 |
| Robert T. Devlin | Presidential | March 8, 1905 |
| Robert T. Devlin | Presidential | April 25, 1910 |
| John L. McNab | Presidential | April 9, 1912 |
| Benjamin L. McKinley | Court | June 26, 1913 |
| Annette Abbott Adams | Court | July 25, 1913 |
| John W. Preston | Presidential | December 22, 1913 |
| John W. Preston | Presidential | January 8, 1918 |
| Annette Abbott Adams | Presidential | August 5, 1919 |
| Frank M. Silva | Recess | June 10, 1920 |
| Frank M. Silva | Court | March 7, 1921 |
| J.T. Williams | Recess | August 27, 1921 |
| J.T. Williams | Presidential | September 27, 1921 |
| Sterling Carr | Court | July 11, 1924 |
| George J. Hatfield | Recess | September 26, 1925 |
| George J. Hatfield | Presidential | December 14, 1925 |
| George J. Hatfield | Presidential | December 18, 1929 |
| I.M. Peckham | Court | January 3, 1933 |
| Henry H. McPike | Presidential | May 13, 1933 |
| Frank J. Hennessy | Presidential | August 14, 1937 |
| Frank J. Hennessy | Presidential | July 25, 1940 |
| Frank J. Hennessy | Presidential | November 7, 1941 |
| Chauncey F. Tramutolo | Presidential | April 19, 1951 |
| Lloyd H. Burke | Presidential | April 16, 1953 |
| Lloyd H. Burke | Presidential | May 24, 1957 |
| Robert H. Schnacke | Court | August 6, 1958 |
| Robert H. Schnacke | Presidential | August 8, 1958 |
| Lynn J. Gillard | Court | June 1, 1959 |
| Lynn J. Gillard | Presidential | August 29, 1959 |
| Lawrence E. Dayton | Presidential | May 19, 1960 |
| Cecil F. Poole | Presidential | June 28, 1961 |
| Cecil F. Poole | Presidential | June 9, 1966 |
| James L. Browning, Jr. | Presidential | December 24, 1969 |
| James L. Browning, Jr. | Presidential | May 21, 1974 |
| G. William Hunter | Presidential | November 7, 1977 |
| Rodney H. Hamblin | Court | October 1, 1981 |
| Joseph P. Russoniello | Presidential | January 6, 1982 |
| Joseph P. Russoniello | Presidential | November 5, 1986 |
| William T. McGivern, Jr. | Attorney General | March 17, 1990 |
| William T. McGivern, Jr. | Court | July 15, 1990 |
| John A. Mendez | Attorney General | August 10, 1992 |
| John A. Mendez | Court | December 7, 1992 |
| Michael J. Yamaguchi | Attorney General | July 4, 1993 |
| Michael J. Yamaguchi | Presidential | October 27, 1993 |
| Robert S. Mueller, III | Attorney General | August 24, 1998 |
| Robert S. Mueller, III | Court | December 21, 1998 |
| Robert S. Mueller, III | Presidential | October 13, 1999 |
| David W. Shapiro | Attorney General | September 4, 2001 |
| David W. Shapiro | Court | January 2, 2002 |
| Kevin V. Ryan | Attorney General | July 16, 2002 |
| Kevin V. Ryan | Presidential | August 2, 2002 |
| Scott N. Schools | Attorney General | February 17, 2007 |
| Scott N. Schools | Court | October 13, 2007 |
| Joseph P. Russoniello | Presidential | January 4, 2008 |
| Melinda Haag | Presidential | August 13, 2010 |
| Brian J. Stretch | Acting (Vacancies Reform Act) | September 1, 2015 |
| Brian J. Stretch | Attorney General | March 30, 2016 |
| Brian J. Stretch | Court | July 26, 2016 |
| Alex Tse | Acting (Vacancies Reform Act) | January 7, 2018 |
| Alex Tse | Court | August 5, 2018 |
| David L. Anderson | Presidential | January 15, 2019 |
| Stephanie Hinds | Acting (Vacancies Reform Act) | March 1, 2021 |
| Stephanie Hinds | Attorney General | December 26, 2021 |
| Ismail Ramsey | Presidential | March 21, 2023 |