Civil Division
The Civil Division represents the United States, whether as plaintiff or defendant, in all civil lawsuits through trial and on appeal.
In affirmative civil enforcement (“ACE”) matters, the Civil Division brings cases to address fraud on the United States, as well as to enforce a variety of federal statutes and regulations. AUSAs work with many agencies to investigate and litigate fraud under the False Claims Act, which empowers private citizens with knowledge of fraud to present those claims to the government and share in any recovery. Through these ACE matters, the Civil Division seeks to recoup taxpayer funds fraudulently obtained from government programs, including health care programs like Medicare and Medicaid, government contracts, federal grants, and numerous others programs implicating the federal fisc.
The Civil Division also pursues claims against individuals and entities for violating various federal statutes and regulations, including the Controlled Substances Act (to prosecute drug diversion and combat the opioid epidemic) and civil rights laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act.
In defensive litigation, AUSAs defend the United States and its federal agencies when they are sued. Such cases often involve tort claims, including medical malpractice and Constitutional tort claims, along with vehicular and other personal injury matters brought under the Federal Tort Claims Act. The Civil Division also handles a wide array of defensive cases relating to prisoners’ rights, civil rights, and government contracts, as well as claims under the employment discrimination statutes, the Freedom of Information Act, the Administrative Procedure Act, the Social Security Act, and various other federal statutes.
Other areas of practice include judicial review of administrative findings, immigration, bankruptcy, and debts owed the United States or its agencies.
The Civil Division represents the United States and its agencies and officials from the investigation and initiation of litigation through appeal before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.