United States Attorneys met for the last U.S. Attorneys Conference of the Biden
administration in Washington, D.C. earlier this month. U.S. Attorneys have met in similar
conferences in D.C. since 1939. The 2024 U.S. Attorneys Conference, held at Main DOJ, was a two and a half day meeting beginning on Tuesday, September 10th with most Districts represented. It was, as NAFUSA members most likely recall from their own days as U.S. Attorneys, an opportunity to get together with colleagues from other districts whom they have met through work on cases or interaction on AGAC subcommittees. We hope they continue to maintain these relationships through NAFUSA membership!

The Conference consisted, in large measure, of presentations highlighting progress and
challenges over the past year addressing program areas including violent crime, fentanyl and other drug cases. It is no surprise that significant attention was focused on increased efforts to ensure maintaining election integrity.

The conference culminated with an address by Attorney General Merrick Garland (AG) on Thursday in the Great Hall. He thanked the more than 115,000 Department of Justice employees for their work on behalf of the American people and for their “ironclad
commitment to the principles of fairness and impartiality that have long guided it…”
The title and theme of the AG’s remarks was “An Independent Justice Department”
reminding prosecutors of the enormous power they hold as federal prosecutors and the
responsibility that comes with it. He also talked about his first job at the Justice
Department working for Attorney General Civiletti in which he assisted on a project to
formalize a set of norms to guide the work of the DOJ. The result was Principles of Federal Prosecution first published in 1980 and now a main fixture in the U.S. Attorneys Manual.

The full text of the Attorney General’s remarks as delivered can be found on the attached link:

An Independent Justice Department

DOJ and the importance of maintaining the independence of the DOJ and the work of the U.S. Attorneys Offices.