Equal Justice Under the Law 900 BLOCK CONSTITUTION AVENUE NW
The roots of America’s top law enforcement agency, the Department of Justice, reach back to 1789. That year the first Congress created the Office of the Attorney General to prosecute lawsuits in the Supreme Court and advise the president and the Cabinet on matters of law. In 1870, after the Civil War spurred an increase in lawsuits and in demands on the attorney general’s office, Congress created the Department of Justice. Today the Department enforces the laws and defends the interests of the United States, protects the American people against terrorism and other threats to national security, prevents and controls crime, seeks just punishment for lawbreakers, and ensures equal justice for all citizens. For the Department’s first permanent home, Philadelphia architects Clarence C. Zantzinger and Charles L. Borie, Jr., showcased Art Deco ornamentation. The 20-foot-high night doors on the south façade and most of the building’s decorative fixtures are made of aluminum instead of the traditional bronze. Colorful mosaics by Washingtonian John Joseph Earley adorn entranceway ceilings. C. Paul Jennewein designed 57 interior and exterior sculptural pieces, including the spectacular Art Deco torchières lighting the entrances. Distinctive 1930s-era murals inside the building illustrate how law improves American life. Painter George Biddle had persuaded his old schoolmate President Franklin D. Roosevelt to fund public murals, including Biddle’s work for the Department. Roosevelt’s New Deal went on to commission works of art throughout the Federal Triangle and the nation. In 2001 the building was renamed to honor Robert F. Kennedy, the slain former attorney general.
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker