| United States Attorney General | |
|---|---|
| Formation | September 26, 1789 |
| First holder | Edmund Randolph |
| Succession | Seventh |
| Deputy | United States Deputy Attorney General |
The Judiciary Act of 1789 created the Office of the Attorney General which evolved over the years into the head of the Department of Justice and chief law enforcement officer of the Federal Government.
After meeting for several months the legislators passed a bill known as the Judiciary Act that provided for the organization and administration of the judicial branch of the new government, and included in that Act was a provision for appointment of “…a meet person, learned in the law, to act as attorney-general for the United States…”.
The Judiciary Act was passed by Congress and signed by President George Washington on September 24, 1789 , making the Attorney General position the fourth in the order of creation by Congress of those positions that have come to be defined as Cabinet level positions.
The Department of Justice traces its beginning to the First Congress meeting in New York in 1789, at which time the Congress devoted itself to creating the infrastructure for operating the Federal Government.
The Attorney General represents the United States in legal matters generally and gives advice and opinions to the President and to the heads of the executive departments of the Government when so requested. In matters of exceptional gravity or importance the Attorney General appears in person before the Supreme Court.