US Attorney
Federal prosecutor who represents the US government within a judicial district.
US Attorneys Conduct federal trials, pursue debts owed to the government and represent the United States in civil cases. Their work follows judicial district boundaries under the direction of the Attorney General.
Last refreshed: 22 October 2026
Timeline for US Attorney
Mentioned in: DOJ seeks to freeze 20,000 mail ballots
US Midterms 2026Mentioned in: Democrats sue Trump over his jail repost
US Midterms 2026Mentioned in: Dhillon plans 1,000 DOJ poll monitors
US Midterms 2026Mentioned in: Daines exits; Bodnar leads Montana race
US Midterms 2026Mentioned in: Massachusetts court kills DOJ voter suit
US Midterms 2026Background
US Attorneys Conduct most trial litigation on behalf of the United States. Each is the chief federal law enforcement officer for a judicial district. Their statutory duties include prosecuting federal criminal cases, bringing and defending civil cases involving the government, and collecting government debts that cannot be recovered administratively. The Attorney General directs their work within the Department of Justice.
The office combines national responsibilities with district-level decisions about cases and resources. Individual offices handle both straightforward and complex litigation across categories of federal law. The distribution of that work varies between districts. US Attorneys exercise discretion over their resources in response to local priorities and community needs, while representing the federal government.
Reference
Who directs US Attorneys?
What does a US Attorney do?
How were US Attorney offices involved in the California election charges?
Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 22 October 2026. Editorial standards.