what is a united states attorney

by Dr. Gunnar Deckow III 5 min read

What is the role of an US Attorney?

Feb 07, 2021 · United States Attorneys serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General of the United States of America. United States Attorneys are appointed by the President of the United States, with the advice and consent of the United States Senate, and serve at the direction of the Attorney General. There are a total of 93 United States …

What is the salary of an US Attorney?

Legal Definition of United States attorney : an attorney in the Department of Justice who is appointed either by the president or the attorney general of the United States and acts as the prosecutor in federal criminal cases and as counsel for the U.S. in civil actions within the federal judicial district to which he or she is assigned

What does the US Attorney do?

United States Attorney Definition An attorney, acting under the direction of the Attorney General, who enforces federal laws within his or her jurisdiction and represents the federal government in civil and criminal cases. The United States Attorney is appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate for a term of four years.

What are the characteristics of a good lawyer?

Mar 23, 2010 · U.S. Attorneys, sometimes called District Attorneys, work for the U.S. Attorney General in the Department of Justice and are not elected by local residents [U.S. Department of Justice]. One U.S. Attorney is assigned to each of 93 federal judicial districts around the country and is the top law enforcement official for the federal government in those districts.

image

What is the role of the US attorney?

United States Attorneys serve as the nation's principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General of the United States of America. ... The United States Attorney is responsible for coordinating multi-agency investigations which involve federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.

What is a US state attorney?

Merrick GarlandUnited States / Attorney generalMerrick Brian Garland is an American lawyer and jurist serving as the 86th United States attorney general since March 2021. He served as a circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 1997 to 2021. Wikipedia

How many US attorneys are there in the United States?

93 U.S. AttorneysOrganization: There are 93 U.S. Attorneys located throughout the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands. U.S. Attorneys are appointed by, and serve at the discretion of, the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate.

What are US attorneys and how are they appointed?

The U.S. attorney is appointed by the President of the United States for a term of four years, with appointments subject to confirmation by the Senate. ... By law, each United States attorney is subject to removal by the President.

Who is the current United States Attorney General?

Merrick GarlandUnited States / Attorney general

How many US attorneys are there in New York?

Below is a listing of current United States Attorneys for all 94 districts....U.S. Attorneys Listing.DistrictUnited States AttorneyNew York, NorthernCarla B. Freedman *New York, SouthernDamian Williams *New York, WesternTrini E. Ross *90 more rows

How much do US attorneys get paid?

The national average salary for a Attorney is $100,000 in United States....Attorney Salaries.Job TitleSalaryUnited States Federal Government Attorney salaries - 117 salaries reportedUS$153,868/yr19 more rows•5 days ago

Is US attorney elected?

United States Attorneys are appointed by the President of the United States and serve four-year terms.

What does the US attorney general investigate?

AGs investigate and bring actions under their states' respective unfair, deceptive, and abusive practices laws (“UDAP laws”). UDAP laws tend to broadly prohibit “deceptive” or “unconscionable” acts against consumers.

Can the attorney general fire a US attorney?

The President of the United States has the authority to appoint U.S. Attorneys, with the consent of the United States Senate, and the President may remove U.S. Attorneys from office. In the event of a vacancy, the United States Attorney General is authorized to appoint an interim U.S. Attorney.

How do you become a US district attorney?

For the most part, however, AUSAs are hired at least three but more commonly four to eight years out of law school, after a clerkship and/or time litigating for a law firm, working as an Assistant District Attorney (ADA), or obtaining comparable litigation experience, perhaps at a state Attorney General's or City ...

What is an assistant U.S. attorney?

Attorneys working at the direction of the United States Attorney prosecute criminal cases brought by the United States against individuals and organizations who violate criminal laws enacted by the United States Congress.

Who is the attorney for the Western District of Texas?

The Western District of Texas is one of four federal judicial districts in Texas, and one of the largest in the country. Ashley C. Hoff is the United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas and is the chief federal law enforcement officer of the United States within this district.

What is the job of the Attorney General?

The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United Stateson all legal matters. The attorney general is a statutory member of the Cabinet of the United States.

Who was the attorney general nominee for Clinton?

Gerson was fourth in the line of succession at the Justice Department, but other senior DOJ officials had already resigned.[14] Janet Reno, President Clinton's nominee for attorney general, was confirmed on March 12,[15]and he resigned the same day.

When does the Attorney General have to resign?

Presidential transition[edit] It is the practice for the attorney general, along with the other Cabinet secretaries and high-level political appointees of the President, to tender a resignation with effect on the Inauguration Day(January 20) of a new president.

Is "general" a noun?

The title "attorney general" is an example of a noun (attorney) followed by a postpositive adjective(general).[8]". General" is a description of the type of attorney, not a title or rank in itself (as it would be in the military).[8]

How are state attorneys elected?

In general, State's Attorneys are elected by the people they represent. Their duties are spelled out in the laws of the local governments they represent, and they're held accountable by the voters for how well they do their jobs and how well their performance matches up with the local politics of the area. But a State's Attorney hardly ever does ...

What is a Commonwealth's Attorney?

States that refer to themselves as commonwealths, such as Virginia and Kentucky, refer to them as Commonwealth's Attorneys [source: Commonwealth's Attorneys Services Council ]. State's Attorneys generally represent a defined geographic area, such as a county, judicial district or judicial circuit. These generally hold the title ...

How do police arrest a suspect?

First, police file a warrant or charging request with the State's Attorney following an investigation. Attorneys review the request and may decide to issue a warrant, which allows the police to arrest the suspect. An arraignment in court follows, at which the suspect is formally charged with a crime and enters a plea.

What is the job of a criminal prosecutor?

Criminal prosecutions are the chief duty of most State's Attorney offices. In many states, such as Michigan, criminal prosecutions follow a predetermined series of steps [source: Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan ]. First, police file a warrant or charging request with the State's Attorney following an investigation.

How many states have grand jury indictments?

About half the 50 states use grand jury indictments in criminal prosecutions. Grand juries hear cases brought by State's Attorneys, and only the evidence and witnesses presented by the State's Attorney are considered.

What is a prosecutor?

A State's Attorney is the most common term for a prosecutor, someone who represents the people in criminal and civil legal matters. But while the most iconic image of a State's Attorney is ...

What happens before a trial?

Before a trial takes place, the process of discovery takes place, at which the State's Attorney and the defense attorney share information they intend to introduce as evidence at trial.

What are the qualifications for a lawyer?

Candidates must possess a strong academic background, superior legal writing and research ability, organizational skills, ability to handle and manage voluminous documents and electronic data, handle challenging witnesses, handle pressing deadlines, and show a commitment to professionalism, ethics and integrity, civility, and public service. ...

How much does an assistant attorney make?

The range of pay is $68,112 to $172,400 which includes a 22.16% locality pay supplement.

How long is the initial appointment to the Department of Justice?

All initial attorney appointments to the Department of Justice are made on a 14-month (temporary) basis pending favorable adjudication of a background investigation.

Where is the Northern District of Georgia located?

The United States Attorney's Office, Northern District of Georgia, is located in Atlanta, Georgia. In addition to the main office in downtown Atlanta, we maintain three intermittently staffed offices located in Rome, Newnan, and Gainesville. More information about the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District ...

Is there a rating system for veterans?

Veterans : There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Justice considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring.

Can the Department of Justice control further dissemination and/or posting of information contained in this vacancy announcement?

The Department of Justice cannot control further dissemination and/or posting of information contained in this vacancy announcement. Such posting and/or dissemination is not an endorsement by the Department of the organization or group disseminating and/or posting the information.

image

Overview

The United States attorney general (AG) leads the United States Department of Justice, and is the chief lawyer of the federal government of the United States. The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all legal matters. The attorney general is a statutory member of the Cabinet of the United States.

History

Congress passed the Judiciary Act of 1789 which, among other things, established the Office of the Attorney General. The original duties of this officer were "to prosecute and conduct all suits in the Supreme Court in which the United States shall be concerned, and to give his advice and opinion upon questions of law when required by the president of the United States, or when requested by the heads of any of the departments". Some of these duties have since been transferred to the U…

Presidential transition

It is the practice for the attorney general, along with the other Cabinet secretaries and high-level political appointees of the President, to tender a resignation with effect on the Inauguration Day (January 20) of a new president. The deputy attorney general is also expected to tender a resignation, but is commonly requested to stay on and act as the attorney general pending the confirmation by the Senate of the new attorney general.

Line of succession

U.S.C. Title 28, §508 establishes the first two positions in the line of succession, while allowing the attorney general to designate other high-ranking officers of the Department of Justice as subsequent successors. Furthermore, an Executive Order defines subsequent positions, the most recent from March 31, 2017, signed by President Donald Trump. The current line of succession is:
1. United States Deputy Attorney General

See also

• Executive Order 13787 for "Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Justice"