what is an attorney general washington state

by Euna McDermott 7 min read

How many attorneys are there in Washington State?

Advises the Governor, members of the Legislature, other state officers, and county prosecutors on legal issues. Gives formal written attorney general’s opinions on constitutional or legal questions at the request of designated public officials. Represents the public interest in utility matters and energy facility siting.

Does Attorney General have to be an attorney?

If you have a complaint about a business, you can contact the Better Business Bureau at 206-431-2222 and also the Consumer Protection division of the Washington State Attorney General's Office at 206-464-6684 or 1-800-551-4636 .

Should state attorney generals be elected or appointed?

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. Attorney General Powers and Responsibilities

Is Attorney General in charge of state funds?

Attorneys general are the top legal officers of their state or territory. They advise and represent their legislature and state agencies and act as the “People’s Lawyer” for the citizens. Most are elected, though a few are appointed by the governor. Select your state to connect to your state attorney general's website.

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What does state Attorney General do?

What we do. The Attorney General's Office (AGO) provides legal advice and support to the Attorney General and the Solicitor General (the Law Officers) who give legal advice to government. The AGO helps the Law Officers perform other duties in the public interest, such as looking at sentences which may be too low.

What is Attorney General in simple words?

attorney general in American English

1. the chief law officer and representative in legal matters of a national or state government, and the legal advisor to the chief executive.

What does Attorney General mean in law?

The NSW Attorney General is the legal advisor to the Government of NSW. The Attorney General is responsible for representing the State and may act on its behalf in all legal proceedings in which the State is a party. The Attorney General also has a range of. administrative responsibilities regarding the justice.

What is the difference between Attorney General and Governor General?

The attorney-general is usually a member of the Federal Cabinet, but need not be. Under the Constitution, they are appointed by the Governor-General on the advice of the Prime Minister, and serve at the Governor-General's pleasure.

What is the difference between chief justice and Attorney General?

In layman terms, Chief Justice is a Judge and Attorney General is a Lawyer, both have distinct roles to play. The Attorney General of India is the highest law officer of the country and he/she is the chief legal advisor to the GoI. He is responsible to assist the government in all its legal matters.Feb 20, 2020

What's the difference between attorney and lawyer?

For example in the US, an attorney is a general term for a lawyer that has passed a bar examination and can practice law in a particular jurisdiction. Attorneys act as lawyers but not all lawyers can perform the work of attorneys.Oct 22, 2021

What is another name for the attorney general?

In this page you can discover 12 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for attorney general, like: a.g., chief legal advisor, Attorney General of the United States, chief law officer, chief of the Department of Justice, United States Attorney General, US Attorney General, district attorney, ...

What is the Attorney General USA?

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Merrick Brian Garland is an American lawyer and jurist serving as the 86th United States attorney general since March 2021. He served as a circuit judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 1997 to 2021.
Wikipedia

Is Attorney General a constitutional post?

Article 76 of the constitution mentions that the Attorney General of India is the highest law officer of India. As a chief legal advisor to the government of India, he advises the union government on all legal matters.

Who can be Attorney General?

They must be a person qualified to be appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court. Hence, they must have been a judge of some high court for five years or an advocate of some high court for ten years, or an eminent jurist in the opinion of the President. The 15th and current Attorney General is K. K.

Does the Governor-General have power?

The governor general, as the representative of the Canadian sovereign, carries out the parliamentary duties of the sovereign in their absence, such as summoning Parliament, reading the speech from the throne, and proroguing and dissolving Parliament.

What is a role of the Governor-General?

The Governor-General's ceremonial duties include: attending the opening of a new Parliament and making a speech about what the new government intends to do. administering the oath of office to the Prime Minister, ministers, judges and other officials. meeting foreign heads of state and ambassadors.

About Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson

Bob Ferguson is Washington State’s 18th Attorney General. As the state’s chief legal officer, Bob is committed to protecting the people of Washington against powerful interests that don’t play by the rules. He is a fourth-generation Washingtonian, a graduate of the University of Washington and New York University law school.

Interesting facts about Bob Ferguson

Bob has hiked hundreds of miles of Washington trails and climbed many of the state's highest peaks. Bob has summited the highest point in 45 of the 50 United States.

As Attorney General, Bob Ferguson has

Successfully blocked President Trump’s first executive order barring travel from seven Muslim-majority nations.

How often are the governors elected in Washington?

In Washington, the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, treasurer, auditor, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction, and commissioner of public lands are elected every four years. Elections are held in November and winners assume office the following January, serving until their successors are elected and qualified.

What are the qualifications for a state office?

Additionally, Article 3, Section 25 of the state constitution establishes the qualifications of state offices in general: 1 a citizen of the United States 2 a qualified elector in Washington

Who is the executive department?

The executive department shall consist of a governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, treasurer, auditor, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction, and a commissioner of public lands, who shall be severally chosen by the qualified electors of the state at the same time and place of voting as for the members of the legislature.

What does the Attorney General do?

What the Attorney General's Office DOES do: Protects the public by upholding the Consumer Protection Act and enforcing laws against anti-competitive business practices. Proposes legislation to further protect families and children and provide clear, just and enforceable laws.

Can an attorney general represent a private citizen?

This means that they cannot represent private citizens in court either to bring an action on behalf of an individual, or to defend an individual.

What is the purpose of the Consumer Protection Act?

Protects the public by upholding the Consumer Protection Act and enforcing laws against anti-competitive business practices. Proposes legislation to further protect families and children and provide clear, just and enforceable laws.

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.

What is the job of the Attorney General of Washington?

The Attorney General is the constitutional legal adviser to state officers. The specific duties of the office include: Representing the State of Washington in the courts in all cases in which the state is interested. Defending the state and its agencies and employees when acting in their official capacities.

What is the phone number for the Washington State Attorney General?

If you need to receive the information in this brochure in an alternate format, please call (206) 464-6684. The hearing impaired may call 1-800-833-6388 statewide. Published by the Washington State Attorney General’s Office.

What is informal opinion?

Informal opinions are letters that present the considered legal analysis of the Assistant Attorneys General who write them. They also often reflect a consensus of the legal analysis of other staff involved in preparing the informal opinion. They are not personally approved by the Attorney General.

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Authority

The Attorney General of Washington is the chief legal officer of the U.S. state of Washingtonand head of the Washington State Office of the Attorney General. The Attorney General represents clients of the state and defends the public interest in accordance to state law. The office of the attorney general is an executive office elected by the citizens of Washington, and the officeholder se…

Qualifications

Elections

Vacancies

Duties

  • Under state law, the attorney general must be a qualified practitioner of the state supreme court. Additionally, Article 3, Section 25 of the state constitutionestablishes the qualifications of state offices in general: 1. a citizen of the United States 2. a qualified elector in Washington
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Historical Officeholders

  • In Washington, the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, treasurer, auditor, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction, and commissioner of public landsare elected every four years. Elections are held in November and winners assume office the following January, serving until their successors are elected and qualified.
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Recent News

  • In the event of a vacancy in this office, the governorshall fill the vacancy by appointment. The term of the appointee expires when a successor has been elected and qualified.
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