A graduate of Princeton University, Mueller served as a Marine Corps officer during the Vietnam War, receiving the Bronze Star Medal with Combat "V" for heroism and the Purple Heart Medal. After graduating from the University of Virginia School of Law (1973), he worked at a private firm in San Francisco for three years until his appointment as an Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) in the same city. Before his appointment as FBI Director, Mueller served as a United States Attorney, as United States Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division, and as Acting U.S. Deputy Attorney General.