United States Attorney's Office Middle District of Louisiana David R. Dugas, United States Attorney

Civil Division
Civil Chief - Assistant United States Attorney Jim Nelson

The Civil Division represents the United States and its agencies in the wide range of civil litigation, both as defendants and plaintiffs. The attorneys defend the interests of the United States when it and/or its agencies are sued. These lawsuits include personal injury claims (such as vehicular accidents or slip and falls on federal property), employment discrimination claims, challenges to administrative agency decisions, social security appeals, Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act claims, habeas corpus actions, injunction proceedings, and lien ranking actions. Civil Division attorneys also represent individual federal employees sued for actions taken within the scope of their federal employment.

Additionally, the Civil Division files lawsuits on behalf of the United States and its agencies as plaintiffs. Such lawsuits include actions for damages and penalties arising out of federal program fraud, eminent domain actions, suits to recover damages to federal property, bankruptcy litigation, actions to enforce administrative penalties, suits to collect loans and other debts owed to the United States, mortgage foreclosures, civil forfeitures, proceedings to enforce collection of criminal fines and restitution, proceedings to obtain civil search and/or seizure orders, and actions to enforce IRS summonses.