<P> The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the U.S. government, responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice in the United States, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries . The department was formed in 1870 during the Ulysses S. Grant administration . In its early years, the DOJ vigorously prosecuted Ku Klux Klan members . </P> <P> The Department of Justice administers several federal law enforcement agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The department is responsible for investigating instances of financial fraud, representing the United States government in legal matters (such as in cases before the Supreme Court), and running the federal prison system . The department is also responsible for reviewing the conduct of local law enforcement as directed by the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 . </P> <P> The department is headed by the United States Attorney General, who is nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate and is a member of the Cabinet . The current Attorney General is Jeff Sessions . </P> <P> The office of the Attorney General was established by the Judiciary Act of 1789 as a part - time job for one person, but grew with the bureaucracy . At one time, the Attorney General gave legal advice to the U.S. Congress as well as the President, but in 1819 the Attorney General began advising Congress alone to ensure a manageable workload . Until March 3, 1853, the salary of the Attorney General was set by statute at less than the amount paid to other Cabinet members . Early Attorneys General supplemented their salaries by running private law practices, often arguing cases before the courts as attorneys for paying litigants . </P>

Who heads up the department of justice under the executive branch