Civil Division (Civil)

The Civil Division is one of many litigating Components of the Department of Justice.  The Division represents the United States, its agencies, and its employees in general civil litigation cases (and under limited circumstances, criminal matters), with the caveat that other Department of Justice Components also litigate civil cases within specialized fields. United States Attorneys’ Offices also handle general civil litigation cases in many instances. The Division’s work includes defending the government against lawsuits filed as a result of certain policies, laws, operations, and programs and bringing suits on behalf of the United States, primarily to recoup money lost through fraud, loan defaults, and the abuse of federal funds. The Division also administers three compensation programs, the first created by the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986, the second created by the 1990’s Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, and the third created by the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010. Civil Division attorneys also play a significant leadership role within the DOJ and the Executive Branch and provide legal assistance on civil matters. Tips for Making Requests: Requesters that seek records pertaining to particular civil litigation cases should try to identify which Component of the Department of Justice is handling that particular case and direct their request to the proper Component. If FOIA requesters provide a case name, case citation, and court name when submitting a request to the Civil Division, and we determine that the request was submitted to the Civil Division in error, we can route your request to the proper Department of Justice Component. Requesters who seek state or local records, including local police records or local court records, would need to direct their request to the state or local government that maintains those records. FOIA Reference Guide FOIA Regulations