Robert S. Mueller III became the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation on octember 4, 2001. Recently, he served as the acting deputy attorney general for the U.S. Department of Justice from January through May 2001. In 1999, the Senate confirmed him as the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of California in San Francisco. Prior to this, Director Mueller took command of the Homicide Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia in 1997. He had served there since 1995 as senior litigation counsel.

In 1990, former president Bush named Director Mueller the assistant attorney general in charge of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice responsible for developing and supervising the enforcement of federal criminal law. He oversaw the Noriega and Gotti prosecutions and the Pan Am 103 investigation and helped develop the Justice Department’s policies on corporate sentencing guidelines, computer crime investigations, and health care and money laundering prosecutions. Prior to assuming this position, Director Mueller assisted former U.S. attorney general Richard Thornburgh; from 1986 to 1987, he
served as a U.S. attorney for the District of Massachusetts.

In addition to his many government positions, Director Mueller also has experience in the private practice of law. He served as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps for 3 years, including 1 year in the Third Marine Division in Vietnam. He received the Bronze Star, two U.S. Navy commendation medals, the Purple Heart, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry.

Born on August 7, 1944, Director Mueller received an undergraduate degree from Princeton University, a master’s degree from New York University, and a law degree from the University of Virginia. He and his wife are the parents of two daughters.