The government of the District of Columbia includes elements of state, county and city government. In addition to serving government agencies, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) is also charged with upholding the public interest. As a result, OAG supports a wide range of government and community interests. OAG is organized into 10 offices and divisions and a general management office (called “The Immediate Office”). The Immediate Office sets the direction for the Office of the Attorney General, including the policy priorities that OAG pursues.
The Immediate Office ensures that OAG provides high quality legal services to the District government, promotes the interests of the public, and effectively communicates and engages with District residents.
Our organizational chart provides more information on how our services are structured. And our 2021 blog series "Voices from Across my Office" explains each division in more depth, and introduces members of each division.
Child Support Services Division
The Child Support Services Division supports families by locating parents, establishing paternity, establishing and modifying support obligations, monitoring and enforcing those obligations, and assisting parents with barriers to employment. The work of the Division encourages responsible parenting, family self-sufficiency, and child well-being and recognizes the essential role of both parents in supporting their children.
Division Leadership:
- Deputy Attorney General: Sophia Hollis Ticer (sophia.ticer@dc.gov)
- Assistant Deputy Attorney General: Nycole Morton (nycole.morton@dc.gov)
Division Office: (202) 442-9900
Civil Litigation Division
The Civil Litigation Division represents the District of Columbia in civil lawsuits against the District. The Division defends the District and its employees in all personal injury lawsuits, defends the District in employment and civil rights matters brought under federal and local law, and represents District agencies in class actions or matters in which injunctive relief is sought. The Division also represents District agencies in matters enforcing rules and regulations.
Division Leadership:
- Deputy Attorney General: Stephanie Litos (stephanie.litos@dc.gov)
- Assistant Deputy Attorney General: Chad Copeland (chad.copeland@dc.gov)
- Assistant Deputy Attorney General: Fernando Amarillas (fernando.amarillas@dc.gov)
Division Office: (202) 727-6295
Commercial Division
The Commercial Division provides legal advice to District government agencies relating to land use, contracting for goods and services, tax collection, and bankruptcy. The Division is organized into four sections: Equitable Land Use, Government Contracts, Land Acquisition and Bankruptcy, and Tax and Finance.
Division Leadership:
- Deputy Attorney General: David Fisher (david.fisher@dc.gov)
- Assistant Deputy Attorney General: David Bradley (david.bradley2@dc.gov)
Division Office: (202) 807-0366
Family Services Division
The Family Services Division works on behalf of the District’s most vulnerable citizens—abused and neglected children. The Division has four Child Protection Sections. The attorneys in these sections handle all child abuse and neglect litigation on behalf of the District’s Child and Family Services Agency, from the initiation of a case through finding a child a permanent placement. Division attorneys also advise Child and Family Services social workers and staff members on compliance with local and federal law. Family Services Division attorneys and staff also advise and assist a variety of family focused agencies and services in the D.C. area.
Division Leadership:
- Deputy Attorney General: Erin Cullen (erin.cullen@dc.gov)
- Assistant Deputy Attorney General: Jaclyn Bolden (jaclyn.bolden@dc.gov)
Division Office: (202) 727-3839
Legal Counsel Division
The Legal Counsel Division provides legal advice to the Mayor, the Attorney General, the Council of the District of Columbia, department and agency heads and the District of Columbia Courts. The Division reviews and sometimes drafts legislation, rules, Mayor’s Orders and agreements to help ensure that they comply with relevant laws. It supports the Attorney General and OAG by preparing opinions, legal memoranda, letters, agreements, Office Orders and other documents for the Attorney General's signature. Attorneys in the Division represent OAG in intergovernmental and multijurisdictional meetings and negotiations, as requested.
Division Leadership:
- Deputy Attorney General: Megan Browder (megan.browder@dc.gov)
- Assistant Deputy Attorney General: Ben Moskowitz (benjamin.moskowitz1@dc.gov)
Division Office: (202) 724-5524
Office of the Solicitor General
The Office of the Solicitor General handles litigation for the Office of the Attorney General in the appellate courts, including the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and the Supreme Court of the United States. Cases include appeals from trial courts in a wide variety of civil and criminal matters. The division also handles petitions for review from more than fifty District agencies.
Office Leadership:
- Solicitor General: Caroline Van Zile (caroline.vanzile@dc.gov)
- Principal Deputy Solicitor General: Ashwin Phatak (ashwin.phatak@dc.gov)
Office Phone: (202) 727-6252
Public Advocacy Division
The Public Advocacy Division promotes the rights of District residents through civil enforcement actions—with a particular emphasis on protecting vulnerable and disadvantaged communities. The Division is focused on civil rights, workers’ rights, consumer protection, housing conditions, antitrust, non-profit enforcement, environmental enforcement, and protecting elders and vulnerable adults from financial exploitation. The Division also works with advocacy partners and other jurisdictions to tackle federal and nationwide issues that affect the rights of those living or working in the District.
Division Leadership:
- Deputy Attorney General: Jen Jones (jen.jones@dc.gov)
- Assistant Deputy Attorney General: Beth Mellen (beth.mellen@dc.gov)
- Interim Assistant Deputy Attorney General: Will Stephens (william.stephens@dc.gov)
Division Office: (202) 724-6610
Public Safety Division
The Public Safety Division handles all cases where young people commit a law violation in the District of Columbia and prosecutes selected adult misdemeanor cases. The Domestic Violence and Special Victims Section and the Mental Health Sections protect victims of domestic violence, incapacitated adults who are being abused, and mentally ill adults who need emergency psychiatric care. The Restorative Justice Section facilitates conferences between the young people who commit crime and the victim, where the victim is interested. The Public Corruption Section prosecutes offenses related to fraud that undermine the public trust.
Division Leadership:
- Deputy Attorney General: Elizabeth Wieser (elizabeth.wieser@dc.gov)
- Assistant Deputy Attorney General: Alicia Washington (alicia.washington@dc.gov)
- Assistant Deputy Attorney General: Rosalyn Groce (rosalyn.groce@dc.gov)
Division Office: (202) 727-3500
Support Services Division
The Support Services Division provides the Office of the Attorney General with essential financial, risk management, operations, administrative and investigations services.
Division Leadership:
- Chief Administrative Officer: Tarifah Coaxum (tarifah.coaxum@dc.gov)
Division Office: (202) 724-5508