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Breuer's tenure as chief of the Justice Department's criminal division was marked by the scandal of "Fast and Furious" gun-walking operation and the biggest biggest criminal investigation in department history.

Former Vice President Walter Mondale and a former Alabama Supreme Court justice are among those pressing for a bipartisan commission to improve legal services to the poor.

For nearly a dozen years now, FBI Director Robert Mueller has started his morning — every morning — with a secret threat briefing. On the eve of his departure, he talks to NPR about what leading the bureau has been like in an age of al-Qaida and more.

In his first remarks to reporters since taking office this month, FBI Director Jim Comey addressed security concerns following the Navy Yard shootings that left 13 people dead. He also talked about sequestration and leaks on government surveillance programs.

Just before opening a new front in the debate over the Voting Rights Act, Attorney General Eric Holder attended a Washington event about a topic that hit close to home.

"We believe firmly that children should be kept in school and out of courts," says Justice Department official Robert Listenbee. In his new role leading the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, he's trying to help stop what experts describe as a "school-to-prison pipeline."

An unprecedented recent court filing from the Justice Department could have dramatic implications for the representation of indigent defendants. The department argues that the fix for broken public defender systems could include a court-appointed monitor.

Eric Holder, the nation's top law enforcement officer, is calling for a sea change in the criminal justice system. The attorney general is joined by a bipartisan group of lawmakers who want to overhaul prison sentencing policies.

Days after the Supreme Court's landmark decision on the health care law, lawyers say they're still teasing out the consequences in other areas of the law — including civil rights. That's because the ruling involves two federal powers that happen to be the backbone of most civil rights legislation.

The shakeup comes as Republicans step up pressure over the agency's failed gun trafficking operation. Kenneth E. Melson has stepped down. B. Todd Jones, U.S. attorney for Minnesota, will be the agency's new acting director.