Tejpal Singh was appointed Assistant U.S. Attorney from the District of Columbia

July 11, 2003: DC

Tejpal Singh is the first Sikh attorney appointed by the Department of Justice (DOJ). DOJ appointments are highly coveted and very prestigious.

The U.S. Attorneys are a vehicle by which the United States acts in court. They execute all the laws of the United States and prosecute anyone who violates those laws. Cases taken up by the U.S. Attorneys range from terrorism (terrorism against Americans abroad is prosecuted in the U.S.) and espionage to fraud and cybercrimes.

 

The attorneys represent the U.S. government in court and they bind the government when they prosecute federal law violations. For example, when the government goes after terrorists or mobsters, the U.S. Attorneys are the ones who prosecute them. Each state has a U.S. Attorney. Larger states may have more than one. U.S. Attorneys are normally appointed by the President and confirmed by Congress. The U.S. Attorney of each district then appoints Assistant U.S. Attorneys. Tejpal Singh was appointed by the U.S. Attorney from D.C., Roscoe C. Howard. There are approximately 2,000 Assistant U.S. Attorneys across the country