Reading Room Document

Settlement of Litigation in Which the U.S. Postal Service Is Represented by the Department of Justice

This document discusses the authority of the U.S. Postal Service and the Attorney General in settling litigation. It concludes that the Attorney General cannot settle litigation over the objection of the Postal Service if it involves a matter within the sole prerogative of the Postal Service. The document also addresses the tension between the dependent and independent aspects of the Postal Service, and the impact on the control exercised by the Attorney General over postal litigation. The questions presented for review include the final settlement authority of the Postal Service, the controls exercised by the Attorney General, and the impact of the Postal Reorganization Act on the litigation authority.

June 15, 1979