United States Attorney

The **United States attorneys** are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal criminal prosecutor in their judicial district and represents the U.S. federal government in civil litigation in federal and state court within their geographic jurisdiction. U.S. attorneys must be nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate, after which they serve four-year terms.

Currently there are 93 U.S. attorneys in 94 district offices located throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands. One U.S. attorney is assigned to each of the judicial districts, with the exception of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, where a single U.S. attorney serves both districts. Each U.S. attorney is the chief federal law enforcement officer within a specified jurisdiction, acting under the guidance of the *United States Attorneys' Manual*. They supervise district offices with as many as 350 assistant U.S. attorneys (AUSAs) and as many as 350 support personnel.

U.S. Attorney's Offices are staffed mainly by assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSA). Often colloquially called "federal prosecutors", assistant U.S. attorneys are government lawyers who act as prosecutors in federal criminal trials and as the United States federal government's lawyers in civil litigation in which the United States is a party. In carrying out their duties as prosecutors, AUSAs have the authority to investigate persons, issue subpoenas, file formal criminal charges, plea bargain with defendants, and grant immunity to witnesses and accused criminals.

U.S. attorneys and their offices are part of the Department of Justice. U.S. attorneys receive oversight, supervision, and administrative support services through the Justice Department's Executive Office for United States Attorneys. Selected U.S. attorneys participate in the Attorney General's Advisory Committee of United States Attorneys.

## Assistant U.S. Attorneys

An **assistant United States attorney** (**AUSA**) is an official career civil service position in the U.S. Department of Justicecomposed of lawyers working under the U.S. Attorney of each U.S. federal judicial district. They represent the federal government of the United States in civil and appellate litigation and in federal criminal prosecutions. Assistant U.S. attorneys working in their office's criminal section are often called **federal prosecutors**.

Federal prosecutors are rarely hired directly out of law school as it's not considered an entry-level position. Federal prosecutors often have significant trial experience from state courts before entering the U.S. Attorneys Office. In 2008, there were approximately 5,800 assistant United States attorneys employed by the United States Government. As of 2020 they earned a starting base salary of $55,204, which may be significantly adjusted for their local cost of living and increases with years of experience up to a maximum of $176,200.

## Special Assistant United States Attorney

Federal law authorizes the Attorney General to appoint **Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys**, known as **SAUSAs**, "to assist United States attorneys when the public interest so requires."In addition to designating non- federal employees, the SAUSA designation is also given to prosecutors who are employed by another agency, such as the Social Security Administration, United States Postal Service, or Federal Bureau of Investigation, but work alongside AUSAs because of their expertise. They are paid by that agency and seconded to the United States Attorneys Office for a set period of time. This designation may also be given to an AUSA who is seconded to a different district or from Main Justice to a specific office. Appointing local prosecutors or enforcement attorneys to assist in a joint investigation and prosecution has been criticized for having the potential for conflicts of interest, selective and vindictive prosecution, as well as dual and successive prosecution. Uncompensated SAUSAs can also be unpaid volunteers; the positions carry the same duties as assistant United States attorneys but are typically held by young lawyers seeking to establish "professional credibility".

## History and statutory authority

The Office of the United States Attorney was created by the Judiciary Act of 1789, along with the office of Attorney General and United States Marshal. The same act also specified the structure of the Supreme Court of the United States and established inferior courts making up the United States Federal Judiciary, including a district court system. Thus, the office of U.S. Attorney is older than the Department of Justice. The Judiciary Act of 1789 provided for the appointment in each judicial district of a "Person learned in the law to act as attorney for the United States...whose duty it shall be to prosecute in each district all delinquents for crimes and offenses cognizable under the authority of the United States, and all civil actions in which the United States shall be concerned..." Prior to the existence of the Department of Justice, the U.S. attorneys were independent of the Attorney General, and did not come under the AG's supervision and authority until 1870, with the creation of the Department of Justice.

## Role of U.S. attorneys

The U.S. attorney is both the primary representative and the administrative head of the *Office of the U.S. Attorney* for the district. The U.S. Attorney's Office (USAO) is the chief prosecutor for the United States in criminal law cases, and represents the United States in civil law cases as either the defendant or plaintiff, as appropriate. However, they are not the only ones that may represent the United States in Court. In certain circumstances, using an action called a *qui tam*, any U.S. citizen, provided they are represented by an attorney, can represent the interests of the United States, and share in penalties assessed against guilty parties.

As chief federal law enforcement officers, U.S. attorneys have authority over all federal law enforcement personnel within their districts and may direct them to engage, cease or assist in investigations. In practice, this has involved command of Federal Bureau of Investigation assets but also includes other agencies under the Department of Justice, such as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Drug Enforcement Administration. Additionally, U.S. attorneys cooperate with other non-DOJ law enforcement agencies – such as the United States Secret Service and Immigration and Customs Enforcement – to prosecute cases relevant to their jurisdictional areas.

The U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia has the additional responsibility of prosecuting local criminal cases in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, the equivalent of a municipal court for the national capital. The Superior Court is a federal Article I court.

## Executive Office for United States Attorneys

The Executive Office for United States Attorneys (EOUSA) provides the administrative support for the 93 United States attorneys (encompassing 94 United States Attorney offices, as the Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands has a single U.S. attorney for both districts), including:

* General executive assistance and direction,
* Policy development,
* Administrative management direction and oversight,
* Operational support,
* Coordination with other components of the United States Department of Justice and other federal agencies.

These responsibilities include certain legal, budgetary, administrative, and personnel services, as well as legal education.

The EOUSA was created on April 6, 1953, by Attorney General Order No. 8-53 to provide for close liaison between the Department of Justice in Washington, DC, and the 93 U.S. attorneys located throughout the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It was organized by Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals judge James R. Browning, who also served as its first chief.

## List of current U.S. attorneys' offices

Map of the boundaries of the United States courts of appeals (by color) and United States District Courts. All District Courts lie within the boundary of a single jurisdiction, usually in a state (heavier lines); some states have more than one District Court (lighter lines denote those jurisdictions)

1. U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama
2. U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama
3. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama
4. U.S. Attorney for the District of Alaska
5. U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona
6. U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas
7. U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas
8. U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California
9. U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California
10. U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California (USAO)
11. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California
12. U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado
13. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia
14. U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut
15. U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware
16. U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida (USAO)
17. U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida
18. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida (USAO)
19. U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia
20. U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia
21. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia
22. U.S. Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands (USAO)
23. U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawaii (USAO)
24. U.S. Attorney for the District of Idaho
25. U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois
26. U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois
27. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois
28. U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana (USAO)
29. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana
30. U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa
31. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa (USAO)
32. U.S. Attorney for the District of Kansas
33. U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky
34. U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky
35. U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana
36. U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana
37. U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana
38. U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine
39. U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland (USAO)
40. U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts
41. U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan
42. U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan
43. U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota
44. U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Mississippi
45. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi
46. U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri
47. U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri
48. U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana
49. U.S. Attorney for the District of Nebraska
50. U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada
51. U.S. Attorney for the District of New Hampshire
52. U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey (USAO)
53. U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico
54. U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York (USAO)
55. U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York (USAO)
56. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York (USAO)
57. U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York (USAO)
58. U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina
59. U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina
60. U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina
61. U.S. Attorney for the District of North Dakota
62. U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio
63. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio
64. U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma
65. U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma
66. U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma (USAO)
67. U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon
68. U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
69. U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
70. U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania
71. U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico
72. U.S. Attorney for the District of Rhode Island
73. U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina
74. U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota (USAO)
75. U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee
76. U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee
77. U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee
78. U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas
79. U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas
80. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas
81. U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas
82. U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah
83. U.S. Attorney for the District of Vermont
84. U.S. Attorney for the District of the Virgin Islands
85. U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia
86. U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia
87. U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington
88. U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington
89. U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia
90. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia
91. U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
92. U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin
93. U.S. Attorney for the District of Wyoming