28 USC § 543 - Special attorneys

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t28/s543"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "28 USC § 543 - Special attorneys"
title_number: 28
title_name: "JUDICIARY AND JUDICIAL PROCEDURE"
section_number: "543"
section_name: "Special attorneys"
chapter_number: 35
chapter_name: "UNITED STATES ATTORNEYS"
part_number: "II"
part_name: "DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Added Pub. L. 89–554, § 4(c), Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 618; amended Pub. L. 111–211, title II, § 213(a)(1), July 29, 2010, 124 Stat. 2268.)"
---


# § 543. Special attorneys

**(a)** The Attorney General may appoint attorneys to assist United States attorneys when the public interest so requires, including the appointment of qualified tribal prosecutors and other qualified attorneys to assist in prosecuting Federal offenses committed in Indian country.

**(b)** Each attorney appointed under this section is subject to removal by the Attorney General.

**(c)** **Indian Country.—** In this section, the term “Indian country” has the meaning given that term in section 1151 of title 18.

---

**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 89–554, § 4(c), Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 618; amended Pub. L. 111–211, title II, § 213(a)(1), July 29, 2010, 124 Stat. 2268.)

| Derivation | U.S. Code | Revised Statutes andStatutes at Large |
| --- | --- | --- |
| (a) | 28 U.S.C. 503. | [None]. |
|  | 5 U.S.C. 298. | July 28, 1916, ch. 261, § 1 (6th par. on p. 413), 39 Stat. 413. |
| (b) | 28 U.S.C. 504(b) (2d sentence, less applicability to assistant United States attorneys). | [None]. |

The text of former  is omitted as unnecessary. The position so authorized has not been filled in recent years, and the authority is preserved by this section and revised , United States Code.

In subsection (b), the word “is” is substituted for “shall be”.

### 1948 Act

Based on , U.S.C., 1940 ed., Executive Departments and Government Officers and Employees (R.S. § 363).

Other provisions of , U.S.C., 1940 ed., are incorporated in sections 507 [now 509 and 547] and 508 [now 548] of this title.

Changes were made in phraseology.

## Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 543, , , related to oath of office for United States Marshals, prior to repeal by , and reenactment in  by .

### Amendments

2010—Subsec. (a). , inserted “, including the appointment of qualified tribal prosecutors and other qualified attorneys to assist in prosecuting Federal offenses committed in Indian country” before period at end.

Subsec. (c). , added subsec. (c).