Executive Office for United States Attorneys

The Executive Office for United States Attorneys (EOUSA) is the office within the Department of Justice that provides executive and administrative support for the 93 United States Attorneys located throughout the 50 states, District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Such support includes, but is not limited to, legal education, administrative oversight, technical support, and the creation of uniform policies.[1] The organization of the EOUSA is laid out in Title 3 of the Justice Manual.,[2] which is provided by the United States Department of Justice.

Executive Office for United States Attorneys
Logo of Executive Office for United States Attorneys
Agency overview
FormedApril 6, 1953; 71 years ago (1953-04-06)
Headquarters950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Room 2242, Washington, DC 20530-0001, USA
38°53′39″N 77°01′30″W / 38.894080°N 77.024894°W / 38.894080; -77.024894
Agency executive
Websitewww.justice.gov/usao/eousa

History

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The Executive Office for United States Attorneys was created on April 6, 1953 by Attorney General Order No. 8-53, issued by then-Attorney General Herbert Brownell, Jr. The office, created as a part of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, was to provide for close liaison between the Department of Justice in Washington, DC and the 93 U.S. Attorneys (USAs) throughout the 50 states, the (Panama) Canal Zone (Until March 31, 1982), the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.[3] It was organized by James R. Browning, who also served as the office’s first chief. Browning would later become a federal circuit judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

The Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of United States Attorneys (AGAC), was created on February 13, 1976 by then-Attorney General Elliot Richardson to advise the Attorney General and give U.S. Attorneys a say in Department of Justice policies. Members of the Committee are selected by the Attorney General to serve on a rotating basis.,

Executive Office for United States Attorneys Director

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The EOUSA is under the direction of a director. The EOUSA director provides general executive assistance and supervision to all U.S. Attorney’s offices, including:[3]

  • Evaluating the performance of all U.S. Attorney offices, making appropriate reports and inspections, and taking corrective action when indicated.
  • Coordinating and directing the relationship of the U.S. Attorney offices with other organizational units of the Department of Justice.
  • Publishing and maintaining a U.S. Attorneys’ Manual and a United States Attorneys’ Bulletin for the internal guidance of the U.S. Attorneys’ offices and those other organizational units of the Department concerned with litigation.
  • Supervising the operation of the Office of Legal Education, the Attorney General’s Advocacy Institute and the Legal Education Institute, which authorizes, develops, and conducts the training of all federal legal personnel.
  • Providing 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.
  • Establishing 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[4] in the Code of Federal Regulations.

The current director of the EOUSA is Stephanie M. Hinds. She was appointed EOUSA Director on October 17, 2024.[5]

Directors of the Executive Office for United States Attorneys

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Director Years served Notes
Stephanie M. Hinds 2024–present
Norman Wong[6] 2023–2024 Acting Director
Monty Wilinson[7] 2021–2023
Corey F. Ellis[8] 2019–2021
James Crowell[9] 2017–2019
Monty Wilkinson[10] 2014–2017
H. Marshall Jarrett 2009–2014
Kenneth E. Melson 2007–2009
Michael A. Battle 2005–2007
Mary Beth Buchanan 2004–2005
Guy A. Lewis[11] 2002–2004
Kenneth Wainstein[12] 2001–2002
Mark T. Calloway[13] 2000–2001
Mary Murgua 1999–2000
Donna Bucella 1997–1999
Carol DiBattiste 1994–1997
Anthony Moscato[14] 1992–1994
Laurence S. McWhorter 1987–1992
William P. Tyson 1977–1987
William B. Gray 1975–1977
Gerald D. Fines 1975–1975
Philip H. Modlin[15] 1970–1975
Harlington Wood, Jr. 1969–1970
John K. Van de Kamp 1968–1969
John W. Kern, III[16] 1966–1968
William J. Brady, Jr. 1963–1966
John R. Reilly 1961–1963
B. Hayden Crawford[17] 1958–1960
Joseph H. Lesh 1954–1958 The first head of the EOUSA
James R. Browning 1953–1954 Established the EOUSA

Responsibilities

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The Executive Office for United States Attorneys provides:[3]

  • Coordination between the United States Attorneys offices and other components of the Department of Justice and other federal agencies.
  • General executive assistance and direction, including U.S. Attorney, Assistant U.S. Attorney and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney appointment support; direction and supervision of management and policy activities of U.S. Attorney financial litigation programs; general legal interpretation, opinion, and advice; budget and financial assistance; staff assistance and funds for committees such as the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee; and by serving as the liaison on Victim-Witness assistance activities done in U.S. Attorney offices.
  • Policy development, including establishing and interpreting guidelines on criminal fine collection issues; providing information and guidance on important legislation, congressional oversight, and appropriations hearings; responding to inquiries from members of Congress and private citizens; and responding to requests under the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act.
  • Administration management and oversight, including providing support for programs in facilities management, support services, and security; evaluating U.S. Attorney performance; and publishing and maintaining a United States Justice Manual (previously known as the U.S. Attorney Manual, title formally changed in September 25, 2018[18]) and United States Attorneys’ Bulletin for internal use.
  • Operational support for all U.S. Attorney offices, including designing and providing automated services and systems for office administrative and case management purposes; providing technical, strategic communications, and video telecommunications support; and promoting and monitoring programs with the U.S. Attorney offices and the Department of Justice, as designated by the Attorney General.

The EOUSA also supervises the operation of the Office of Legal Education, which develops, conducts, and assists in the training of all Department of Justice legal personnel and other federal legal personnel.[3]

Organization

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The Office of the EOUSA Director serves as the focal point for a wide array of requests and inquiries from the United States Attorneys offices.[3] The EOUSA Director is responsible for the overall supervision and management of all EOUSA staff to help provide support, guidance, assistance, and management to the 93 United States Attorneys.

  • Director[19]
    • Deputy Director and Counsel to the Director
      • Legal and Victims Programs
      • Data Integrity and Analysis
      • Strategic Communications
      • Evaluation and Review
    • Resource Management and Planning
    • Information Technology
    • Human Resources
    • Deputy Director

References

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  1. ^ "Department of Justice | Executive Office for United States Attorneys". Department of Justice (www.justice.gov). United States Department of Justice. 2018-11-29.
  2. ^ "Department of Justice | Justice Manual | Title 3: EOUSA". Justice Manual. Department of Justice. February 1, 2018. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Mission and Functions | USAO | Department of Justice". Department of Justice | U.S. Attorneys | Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys. US Department of Justice. December 9, 2014. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  4. ^ "28 CFR 0.171 - Judgments, fines, penalties, and forfeitures". LII / Legal Information Institute. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  5. ^ Office of Public Affairs (2024-10-17). "Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Announces Stephanie M. Hinds as Director of the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys" (Press release). United States Department of Justice. Retrieved 2024-10-26.
  6. ^ "Meet the Acting Director". 2023-07-01.
  7. ^ "Meet the Director". www.justice.gov. 2021-01-21. Retrieved 2021-02-10.
  8. ^ Meet the Director
  9. ^ "Meet the Director | EOUSA | US Attorneys | Department of Justice". December 10, 2017. Archived from the original on 2017-02-01. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  10. ^ "Monty Wilkinson Named Director of EOUSA". National Association of Former United States Attorneys. 2014-04-02. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  11. ^ "Guy A. Lewis, Esq. - Lewis Tein". www.lewistein.com. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  12. ^ "#06-655: 09-28-06 Kenneth L. Wainstein Sworn in as First Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division". www.justice.gov. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  13. ^ "Mark T. Calloway | Litigation and Trial Practice Lawyer | Alston & Bird". www.alston.com. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  14. ^ "#493: 10-21-98 - ANTHONY MOSCATO TO JOIN BOARD OF IMMIGRATION APPEALS". www.justice.gov. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  15. ^ "Philip H. Modlin". Legacy.com. February 8, 2015. Retrieved November 28, 2018 – via Washington Post.
  16. ^ "John Kern III". Legacy.com. February 18, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2018 – via Washington Post.
  17. ^ Staff Reports. "Attorney B. Hayden Crawford dies". Tulsa World. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  18. ^ "Press Release: Department of Justice Announces the Rollout of an Updated United States Attorneys' Manual". Justice.gov. Office of Public Affairs | Department of Justice. September 25, 2018. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  19. ^ "EOUSA Organizational Chart (Text Only)". 2014-11-18. Retrieved 2018-11-29.