A Guide to the Office of Professional Responsibility

What is the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR)?


The Office of Professional Responsibility is a Federal agency that operates within the United States of America that is responsible for individual criminal investigations with regard to the substantiation and discovery of suspected of legal counsel and attorneys operating within the Federal government; due to the legislature surrounding the implementation of the OPR – as well as associated parameters and protocol of operations, each claim is investigated in order to validate or discount any and all allegations. In the event that criminal activity is discovered, the OPR furnishes the respective investigation report to the Department of Justice:

The Office of Professional Responsibility is part of the United States Department of Justice and is responsible for investigating attorneys who are employed by the DOJ and have been formally accused of misconduct or crimes in their professional functions.

The Office of Professional responsibility will promulgate independent standards of ethical and criminal conduct for all Department of Justice Attorneys, whereas the DOJ’s Office of the Inspector General possesses specific jurisdiction of all non-attorney employees of the Department of Justice.

To conduct investigations and initiate trials the Office of Professional Responsibility must first receive reports of alleged misconduct. The Office of Professional Responsibility receives such reports made against Department of Justice Attorneys from a variety of sources; nearly half of all allegations are reported to the Office of Professional Responsibility from DOJ sources, private attorneys, defendants and civil litigants, other federal agencies, judicial and congressional referrals, media reports and various state or local government officials.


How does the Office of Professional Responsibility go about their Business?


Upon reviewing such reports, the Office of Professional Responsibility will review each allegation and determine whether further investigation is warranted. The determination is a matter of judgment that will evaluate many factors, including the nature of the allegations, the credibility of the claim and source, the specificity of the allegation and its susceptibility to verification.

A decision to formally open a matter does not give immediate rise to a presumption of misconduct, not shift the necessary burden of proof to the accused. The Office of Professional Responsibility’s investigation, however, will involve a wide range of allegations and various investigative methods used accordingly. In the majority of cases, the Office of Professional Responsibility will notify the accused attorney and formally request a written response; that being said, sometimes, the OPR will also conduct on-site investigations.

Regardless of investigatory method, the OPR will report the results of the investigation to the component head concerned and to the Office of the Deputy Attorney General; furthermore, the Office of Professional Responsibility is required to advise the complainant and the accused attorney of their findings and ultimate conclusion.

Government Agency of the Executive Branch


Government agencies are defined as organizations, councils, and offices operating under the jurisdiction of the Federal Government of the United States of America; each federal agency retains specific administrative jurisdiction over specific facets latent within the operations of the United States Government. The Professional Responsibility Advisory Office functions as a government agency under the Executive Branch of the United States government, which is comprised of 3 total branches; in addition to the Executive branch – which is responsible for the regulation and enforcement of operational legislation existing within the United States of America – there also exists the Legislative and Judicial Branches.


Office of Professional Responsibility Quick Facts


The following details outline the administration of the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR):


The headquarters of the Office of Professional Responsibility are located in Washington, D.C.


The head of the Office of Professional Responsibility is Mary Patrice Brown

Office of Professional Responsibility Associated Terms and Agencies


The following terms and Government Agencies are associated with the operations and undertakings of the Office of Professional Responsibility:


United States Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (OIG)


Akin to the Office of Professional Responsibility, the United States Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General is a subdivision of the United States Department of Justice; both departments undertake federally-mandated investigative measures with regard to affairs concerning individuals under the employ of the Federal government. However, while OPR investigations are limited to Federal Attorneys, the OIG undertakes investigations of the remainder of Federal employees classified neither as attorneys nor legal counsel.


Government Agency of the Executive Branch


The Office of Professional Responsibility functions as a government agency under the Executive Branch of the United States government, which is comprised of 3 total branches; in addition to the Executive branch – which is responsible for the regulation and enforcement of operational legislation existing within the United States of America – there also exists the Legislative and Judicial Branches:


The USDOJ and the OPR


The Department of Justice is a federal agency within the Executive Branch of the government responsible for the supervision of the Office of Professional Responsibility, which is considered to be a sub division within the USDDOJ; the primary objectives of the Department of Justice include the regulation and administration of legal activity, statutory legislation, and lawful behavior with regard Federal government:


The USDOJ not only serves to ensure that the Federal government acts in accordance with the law, which includes all branches of the Federal Government. In addition, the Department of Justice undertakes all manners of criminal activity existing on a national level, which includes crimes occurring on both foreign and interstate levels


Office of Professional Responsibility Investigative Legality


Administrative Law is the legal field associated with events and circumstances in which the Federal Government of the United States engages its citizens, including the administration of government programs, the administration and operation of government agencies, and the establishment of a legal, regulatory federal standard. The Office of Professional Responsibility can be contacted through the Department of Justice:


950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, D.C.

20530

(202) 514-3365

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