the attorney general is the top official at what government department?

by Lila Harris 6 min read

What is the Office of the Attorney General?

The attorney general is supported by the Office of the Attorney General, which includes executive staff and several deputies. Merrick Garland has been the United States attorney general since March 11, 2021. Congress passed the Judiciary Act of 1789 which, among other things, established the Office of the Attorney General.

What is the history of the Attorney General?

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.

Who was the Attorney General during the Clinton administration?

Janet Reno, President Clinton's nominee for attorney general, was confirmed on March 12, and he resigned the same day. ^ Served as acting attorney general in his capacity as deputy attorney general, until the appointment of a new attorney general. Holder later served as attorney general from 2009–2015.

Who are the principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General?

The United States Attorneys serve as the nation's principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. In June 2009, the Justice Department announced the launch of a major new initiative to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.

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What is the job of the Attorney General?

The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United Stateson all legal matters. The attorney general is a statutory member of the Cabinet of the United States.

Who was the attorney general nominee for Clinton?

Gerson was fourth in the line of succession at the Justice Department, but other senior DOJ officials had already resigned.[14] Janet Reno, President Clinton's nominee for attorney general, was confirmed on March 12,[15]and he resigned the same day.

When does the Attorney General have to resign?

Presidential transition[edit] It is the practice for the attorney general, along with the other Cabinet secretaries and high-level political appointees of the President, to tender a resignation with effect on the Inauguration Day(January 20) of a new president.

Is "general" a noun?

The title "attorney general" is an example of a noun (attorney) followed by a postpositive adjective(general).[8]". General" is a description of the type of attorney, not a title or rank in itself (as it would be in the military).[8]

What is an attorney general?

Attorneys-General in common law jurisdictions, and jurisdictions with a legal system which is partially derived from the common law tradition, share a common provenance.

What is the second type of attorney general?

The second type of attorney-general ("procureur-generaal", while their replacements are called "advocaat-generaal") is an independent advisor to the Supreme Court . These people give an opinion on cases (called "conclusies") in any field of law (not just criminal law), supported by a scientific staff.

What is the main legal advisor to the government?

In common law jurisdictions, main legal advisor to the government. In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enforcement, ...

What is a non common law office?

Non-common law jurisdictions usually have one or more offices which are similar to attorneys-general in common law jurisdictions, some of which use "attorney-general" as the English translation of their titles.

What is the office of the Attorney General of the Philippines?

The Office of the Solicitor General is the law firm of the Republic of the Philippines. It is tasked with representing the Philippines, the Philippine Government, and all its officials in any litigation or matter requiring the services of a lawyer especially before appellate courts. It is an independent and autonomous office attached to the Department of Justice for budgetary purposes.

What is the mission of the Attorney General of Ireland?

The Mission of the Office of the Attorney General is to provide the highest standard of professional legal services to Government, Departments and Offices. The Attorney General of Ireland is the legal adviser to the Government and is therefore the chief law officer of the State.

What is the role of the Attorney General in Fiji?

In Fiji, the role of the Attorney General is defined as "providing essential legal expertise and support to the Government". More specific functions include "legislative drafting", "legal aid", "the prerogative of mercy" (advising the President), "liquor licensing" and "film censorship".

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 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.

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.

Who does the Attorney General represent?

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.

What was the name of the agency that created the Office of the 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.

When was the Attorney General's Office created?

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.

When did the Department of Justice start?

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.

What was the Judiciary Act?

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…”.

How much money does the COPS Office give?

The programs and initiatives developed by the COPS Office have provided almost $9 billion in funding to more than 13,000 law enforcement agencies. By funding over 13,000 of the nation’s 18,000 law enforcement agencies, the COPS Office has helped create a community policing infrastructure across the nation.

What is the tax division?

The Tax Division's mission is to enforce the nation's tax laws fully, fairly, and consistently, through both criminal and civil litigation, in order to promote voluntary compliance with the tax laws, maintain public confidence in the integrity of the tax system, and promote the sound development of the law.

How many members of Congress are paid?

For purposes of compensation, the 435 members of Congress–Senators and Representatives–are treated like other federal employees and are paid according to the Executive and Senior Executive pay schedules administered by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

Who is paid the same salary as the White House?

The cabinet secretaries—as well as the White House chief of staff, Environmental Protection Agency’s administrator, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, the U.N. ambassador and the U.S. trade representative—are all paid the same base salary.

How much did Trump give to the Department of Agriculture?

In 2019, President Trump gave: $100,000 to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for “outreach programs that benefit farmers.”. $100,000 to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Surgeon General. $100,000 to the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health to “the ongoing fight against the opioid crisis.”.

How much does the President make in 2001?

The president's salary was increased from $200,000 to $400,000 in 2001. The president's current salary of $400,000 has an additional $50,000 expense allowance. As commander in chief of the world’s most modern and expensive military, the president is considered the most powerful political figure in the world.

Can Congress members turn down their annual raise?

Even if Congress as a whole were to decide to accept the annual raise, individual members are free to turn it down. Many myths surround the retirement benefits of Congress. However, just like other federal employees, members of Congress elected since 1984 are covered by the Federal Employees Retirement System.

Does the President get a salary adjustment?

There is no mechanism to automatically adjust the president's salary; Congress must pass legislation authorizing it. Since legislation enacted in 1949, the president also gets a non-taxable $50,000 annual expense account for official purposes.

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Overview

Attorneys-general in common law and hybrid jurisdictions

Attorneys-General in common law jurisdictions, and jurisdictions with a legal system which is partially derived from the common law tradition, share a common provenance.
In Australia, the attorney-general is the chief law officer of the Crown and a member of the Cabinet. The Attorney-General is the minister responsible for legal affairs, national and public security, and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation. Michaelia Cash is the current Attorney-General. …

Etymology

In regard to the etymology of the phrase Attorney General, Steven Pinker writes that the earliest citation in the Oxford English Dictionary is from 1292: "Tous attorneyz general purrount lever fins et cirrographer" (All general attorneys may levy fines and make legal documents). The phrase was borrowed from Anglo-Norman French when England was ruled by Normans after the conquest of England in the 11th-century. As a variety of French, which was spoken in the law courts, schools, …

Similar offices in non-common law jurisdictions

Non-common law jurisdictions usually have one or more offices which are similar to attorneys-general in common law jurisdictions, some of which use "attorney-general" as the English translation of their titles.
The state attorney (ríkislögmaður) represents the state in civil lawsuits. The state attorney is appointed by the Prime Minister for a period of 5 years and must have the same qualifications re…

External links

• Quotations related to Attorney general at Wikiquote