General Procedures

Federal law protects against discrimination on a wide range of bases, including race, sex, national origin, religion, disability, familial status, and others, and in a wide range of areas, including voting, public accommodations and facilities, public schools, employment, housing, credit, and in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance, among others. Under these civil rights laws, the Attorney General is authorized to institute civil actions for appropriate relief.

This Title of the United States Attorney’s Manual describes the procedures for investigation, litigation, and trial which are generally applicable to criminal and civil statutes enforced by the Civil Rights Division, the functions of the various Civil Rights Division Sections under these statutes, the ways in which the Civil Rights Division works with United States Attorney’s Offices on civil rights matters, and the special procedures that must be followed in connection with the enforcement of many civil rights statutes. These special procedures are described in the paragraphs devoted to the Section responsible for enforcing the statute.

[updated March 2018]