Department of Justice

Department of Justice - one of the Cabinet departments, created in 1870. The Attorney General is the head of the Justice Department. Early in the nation's history, the attorney general was an assistant to the president, while the State Department administered most of the duties currently performed by the Justice Department. Today, the department acts as the country's largest law firm. It provides legal advice for the president and officials of other Cabinet departments; represents the United States in court; enforces most federal civil and criminal laws. The divisions and bureaus of the Department of Justice include: the Office of the Solicitor General; Civil Rights Division; Civil Division; Antitrust Division; Environment and Natural Resources Division; Tax Division; the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Criminal Division; Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); the Bureau of Prisons; United States Marshals Office; Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS); and the United States National Central Bureau - Interpol.