Civil Division

The primary responsibility of the Civil Division is to represent the United States in all civil actions brought by or against the United States in both federal and states courts of law. A dedicated team of Assistant United States Attorneys and Legal Support Staff are involved in the prosecution and defense of over 1000 civil cases per year. Cases handled by the Civil Division include actions on promissory notes, foreclosure cases, bankruptcy cases, social security cases, environmental cases, employment and labor law cases, medical malpractice cases, tort cases, actions brought by individuals in federal custody, actions brought under the Freedom of Information Act, actions seeking review of administrative actions of federal agencies, actions to defend or enforce subpoenas, and actions challenging deportation decisions of the Department of Homeland Security.

The Civil Division includes three units: General Civil, Affirmative Civil Enforcement (ACE), and Financial Litigation Program (FLP). Attorneys in the General Civil Unit handle all types of civil litigation in the district. Additionally, some attorneys in the General Civil Unit have assigned specialization in the areas of medical malpractice, employment discrimination, administrative procedures litigation, and torts.

The ACE Unit prosecutes civil actions to recover money damages and monetary penalties for fraud and other acts of misconduct committed against the United States. Such cases are typically initiated by federal investigation, citizen complaints, or by "whistle blowers" under applicable law. The ACE Unit works closely with the Criminal Division to coordinate parallel investigations and cases arising from the same or related circumstances. The Unit also participates with the Criminal Division in health care fraud investigations.

The FLP Unit is actively involved in the collection of civil judgments and criminal debts, such as fines, restitution, and penalties owed to the United States. The work of the Unit is vital to taxpayers and victims of crime. During FY 2022, the FLP Unit, working in conjunction with the ACE Unit and asset forfeiture attorneys, collected a total of $11,749,412.87, which exceeds the annual operating budget for the United States Attorney's Office.