texas attorney general does what

by Eugenia Carroll 8 min read

What are the duties of the Texas Attorney General?

Attorney General Ken Paxton is the lawyer for the State of Texas and is charged by the Texas Constitution to: To fulfill these responsibilities, the Office of the Attorney General serves as legal counsel to all boards and agencies of state government, issues legal opinions when requested by the Governor, heads of state agencies and other officials and agencies as provided by …

What is the job of the Texas Attorney General?

Apr 05, 2015 · What does the Attorney General of Texas do? The Texas Attorney General is charged the Texas constitution to defend the laws and the writings within the constitution. Additionally, the Attorney General Texas must represent the state in litigation and approve bond issues present in the public.

How do you contact Attorney General in Texas?

Jan 25, 2018 · "The attorney general is really the state’s attorney," former state Solicitor General Julie Parsley said. "He or she defends the state’s laws and Constitution. They represent the state and its agencies, which is a very important thing to do. But there’s also … a myriad of things that they do by state law, too."

What is legal age to move out Texas Attorney General?

Dec 13, 2021 · Agriculture Commissioner. Public Lands Commissioner. Railroad Commissioner. Texas is holding an election for attorney general on November 8, 2022. The primary was scheduled for March 1, 2022, and a primary runoff is scheduled for May 24, 2022. The filing deadline was December 13, 2021. Contents.

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When was the Attorney General of Texas established?

The Office of the Attorney General was first established by executive ordinance of the Republic of Texas government in 1836. The attorneys general of the Republic of Texas and the first four attorneys general under the 1845 state constitution were appointed by the governor. The office was made elective in 1850 by constitutional amendment.

What is the office of the Attorney General?

The Office of the Attorney General serves as legal counsel to all boards and agencies of state government, issues legal opinions when requested by the governor, heads of state agencies and other officials and commissions, and defends challenges to state laws and suits against both state agencies and individual employees of the state.

When was the Office of Attorney General established?

The Office of the Attorney General was first established by executive ordinance of the Republic of Texas government in 1836. The attorneys general of the Republic of Texas and the first four attorneys general under the 1845 state constitution were appointed by the governor.

Who is Ken Paxton?

In November 2014, he was elected as the governor of Texas. Ken Paxton defeated former House Representative Dan Branch in the Republican primary by a 26% margin and was elected easily in the general election as the 50th attorney general of Texas, (there is a historical dispute whether he is the 50th or 51st attorney general).

What is the Attorney General of Texas?

14 Footnotes. The Attorney General of Texas is the chief lawyer and legal officer for the state of Texas. According to the Texas Constitution, the attorney general defends the laws and the constitution of the state of Texas, represents the state in litigation, and approves public bond issues.

Who won the 2010 Texas election?

To view the electoral history dating back to 2002 for the office of Texas Attorney General, Click to expand the section. On November 2, 2010, Greg Abbott won re-election to the office of Texas Attorney General. He defeated Barbara Ann Radnofsky (D) and Jon Roland (L) in the general election.

Who did Greg Abbott defeat?

He defeated Barbara Ann Radnofsky (D) and Jon Roland (L) in the general election. Election results via Texas Secretary of State. On November 7, 2006, Greg Abbott won re-election to the office of Texas Attorney General. He defeated David Van Os (D) and Jon Roland (L) in the general election.

What is the Attorney General of Texas?

The Attorney General is the constitutional, statewide elected official who acts as the attorney for the State of Texas. The Attorney General: 1 enforces state consumer protection laws; 2 collects court-ordered child support; and 3 administers the Crime Victims' Compensation Fund.

Can the Attorney General represent private citizens?

By law, the Office of the Attorney General may not represent private citizens in legal disputes . The Lawyer Referral Service at the State Bar of Texas can assist you in contacting an attorney in Texas with expertise relevant to your situation. The Lawyer Referral Service can be reached at (800) 252-9690.

How to contact the Attorney General for child support?

For information about child support services, call the Office of the Attorney General’s Child Support Division at (800) 252-8014 or consult your phone directory for the number to your local office. Information is also available on the Office of the Attorney General Web site at www.oag.state.tx.us.

What is the state bar of Texas?

The State Bar of Texas is the agency with authority to regulate attorneys in Texas. If you have a complaint about the actions of an attorney, contact the State Bar’s Grievance Committee at (800) 932-1900. I have a complaint against a private business.

Who has jurisdiction in Texas?

In Texas, the county or district attorney has original jurisdiction to pursue alleged violations of the law. These prosecutors are granted discretion in determining which cases will be prosecuted. The Attorney General has no role or oversight of their decisions.

What is the PUC in Texas?

The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) is the agency charged with ensuring that regulated electric and local telephone utilities observe state rules and service standards. Contact the PUC regarding your concerns at (888) 782-8477 or on the Web at www.puc.state.tx.us.

What is the phone number for a small claims court?

The State Bar offers a Lawyer Referral Service at (800) 252-9690.

What is the Texas Attorney General?

What is the Attorney General Texas? The Texas Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the state of Texas. The Office of the Attorney General Texas was first established through executive ordinance of the state’s government in 1836. Under the state’s constitution, in 1845, the Texas Attorney General was appointed by the governor; however, ...

What is the Stare Decisis?

In many cases, the Attorney General Texas will employ the legal ideology of ‘Stare Decisis’ with regard to appellate hearings requested within the State of Texas; Stare Decisis facilitates a hierarchy with regard to legal venue, within which the process of appeals is determined for potential hearings

Candidates and election results

Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:

2018

Incumbent Ken Paxton defeated Justin Nelson and Michael Ray Harris in the general election for Attorney General of Texas on November 6, 2018.

What is the role of an attorney general?

As chief legal officers of the states, commonwealths, District of Columbia, and territories of the United States, the role of an attorney general is to serve as counselor to state government agencies and legislatures, and as a representative of the public interest.

What is the People's Lawyer podcast?

The People’s Lawyer is a biweekly podcast from NAAG that explores the role of state and territory attorneys general as chief legal officers and their work protecting the rule of law and the U.S. Constitution.

What is the role of a public advocate?

Issuing formal opinions to state agencies. Acting as public advocates in areas such as child support enforcement, consumer protections, antitrust and utility regulation. Proposing legislation. Enforcing federal and state environmental laws. Representing the state and state agencies before the state and federal courts.

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Overview

The Texas attorney general is the chief legal officer of the U.S. state of Texas. The current officeholder, Republican Ken Paxton, has served in the position since January 5, 2015.
The office is housed at the William P. Clements State Office Building in Downtown Austin.

History

The Office of the Attorney General was first established by executive ordinance of the Republic of Texas government in 1836. The attorneys general of the Republic of Texas and the first four attorneys general under the 1845 state constitution were appointed by the governor. The office was made elective in 1850 by constitutional amendment.

Duties and responsibilities

The attorney general is charged by the state constitution to represent the state in civil litigation and approve public bond issues. There are nearly 2,000 references to the Office of the Attorney General in state laws.
The Office of the Attorney General serves as legal counsel to all boards and agencies of state government, issues legal opinions when requested by the governor, heads of state agencies an…

Political prominence

Many leading political figures in Texas history have served as attorney general, several of them using the office as a jumping-off place to other offices in the state and national government. Attorneys general James S. Hogg, Charles A. Culberson, Dan Moody, James V. Allred, Price Daniel, Mark White, and Greg Abbott were elected governor. Culberson, Daniel, and John Cornyn were later elected to the United States Senate.

Notes

1. First elected attorney general (AG) of state of Texas; previously elected AG of the Republic of Texas
2. Resigned
3. Appointed

External links

• Texas Attorney General official website
• Texas Attorney General articles at ABA Journal
• News and Commentary at FindLaw
• U.S. Supreme Court Opinions – "Cases with title containing: State of Texas" at FindLaw

Current Officeholder

Qualifications

  • According to the Texas Secretary of State, state law says that no person shall be eligible for to run for the office of attorney general unless they are: 1. at least 18 years of age 2. a citizen of the United States 3. a resident of Texas for at least 12 months
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Vacancies

  • Article 4, Section 12 (a) of the Texas Constitutionstates: "All vacancies in State or district offices, except members of the Legislature, shall be filled unless otherwise provided by law by appointment of the Governor."
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Elections

  • Article 4, Section 2 of the Texas Constitution states: "All the above officers of the Executive Department (except Secretary of State) shall be elected by the qualified voters of the State at the time and places of election for members of the Legislature." The attorney general is elected to serve for a four-year term. There is no term limitfor this office.
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Divisions

  • As of January 11, 2021, divisions within the Attorney General's Office included: 1. General Counsel 2. Opinion Committee 3. Solicitor General 4. Open Records 5. Civil Litigation 6. Child Support 7. Criminal Justice 8. Law Enforcement 9. Crime Victim Services and Victims Assistance Grants 10. Colonias 11. Administrative Functions
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Historical Officeholders

  • Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for chronological lists of historical officeholders; information for the Attorney General of Texas has not yet been added because the information was unavailable on the relevant state official websites, or we are currently in the process of formatting the list for this office. If you have any a…
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Recent News

  • The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Texas Attorney General.These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
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