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.
Charles Mugane Njonjo | |
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Njonjo as Kenyan Attorney General, c. 1970 | |
Attorney General of Kenya | |
In office 1963–1973 | |
Succeeded by | James B. Karugu |
The original duties of this officer were "to prosecute and conduct all suits in the Supreme Court in which the United States shall be concerned, and to give his advice and opinion upon questions of law when required by the president of the United States, or when requested by the heads of any of the departments". Some of these duties have since been transferred to the United States solicitor general and the White House counsel .
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.
Attorney General is a Level I position in the Executive Schedule, thus earning a salary of US$ 221,400, as of January 2021.
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.
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.
For example, upon the inauguration of President Donald Trump on January 20, 2017, then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch left her position, so then-Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, who had also tendered her resignation, was asked to stay on to serve as the acting attorney general until the confirmation of the new attorney general Jeff Sessions, who had been nominated for the office in November 2016 by then- President-elect Donald Trump.
The Department of Justice was established in 1870 to support the attorneys general in the discharge of their responsibilities.
The Office of the Attorney General was created in 1789 and was intended to be a one-person position. The person in the position was supposed to be “learned in the law” and was tasked with conducting all suits in the Supreme Court and advising the president and cabinet in law-related matters.
There is also a succession plan in place in the event there is no Attorney General due to absence or death, which allows the Deputy Attorney General to assume all powers and duties of the office. While the Deputy Attorney General would not be a confirmed Attorney General, they would have all of the powers of the office at hand as interim Attorney ...
Barr has served as Attorney General twice, once during the George H.W. Bush administration from 1991 to 1993, and currently in the Trump administration. Barr has been consistent in his determination that the Executive branch claims absolute executive authority, contrary to our system of checks and balances.
Barr believes that congressional subpoenas and restrictions to the President’s removal power and legislative vetoes are encroachments on the power of the Executive branch . In addition, Barr has indicated he is willing to do whatever it takes to preserve the power of the Trump presidency, even if constitutional violations occur.
The Department of Justice is responsible for most of the legal business of the government, and therefore, many of the law enforcement agencies throughout the country . There are six litigating divisions in the department: Antitrust.
The Department of Justice touches nearly every part of legal life in America, from violent crime to tax code violations, with nearly sixty separate and distinct agencies listed on the DOJ website. Other notable agencies the DOJ is responsible for include:
The Attorney General is in charge of the Department and is responsible for all aspects of the Justice Department. The head of this vast bureaucracy has enough impact to shape the way laws are treated by law enforcement professionals across the country.
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.
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.
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.
Recent Examples on the Web The state attorney general declined to file charges against the officer and said the force was justified but the officer’s actions before the fight led to the altercation. — NBC News, 6 Feb.
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The Attorney General's Office is committed to protecting the rights of all people. Recognizing that discrimination has no place in our society,The Attorney General's Office is fighting to protect transgender students and adults across the nation, and strictly enforcing the recently enacted California law that prohibits state-funded travel to states that discriminate against LGBTQ communities.
The Attorney General's Office believes that the economic security of working families is crucial to the economic well-being of California and will fight to make sure that everyone in our state can benefit from economic growth and consumer protections.
Bureau of Children's Justice. The Bureau’s mission is to protect the rights of children and focus the attention and resources of law enforcement and policymakers on the importance of safeguarding every child. View More.
Law enforcement officers can only be effective if they are trusted by the communities they serve. Police agencies across the country now confront a crisis of confidence that not only complicates their dangerous work but also demands a meaningful response.
Protecting consumers and combating scams is a top priority of the Office of Attorney General. It’s important for Pennsylvanians to know what schemes are out there – so they can avoid getting scammed and help our Office protect other consumers.
The Office of Public Engagement offers a number of free educational programs to help school personnel, students, parents and the community empower Pennsylvanians with knowledge to keep them safe and to make good decisions.
We would love to joing your online classroom and give a presentation today. Here are a few examples of our available presentations.
The attorney general renders official opinions to the General Assembly, the governor, secretary of state, auditor, treasurer, the heads of the various state departments and the circuit or prosecuting attorneys on questions of law relating to their duties.
In order to fulfill these and other responsibilities, the attorney general has organized his office into eight divisions: Litigation, Consumer Protection, Governmental Affairs, Environmental Protection, Criminal Appeals, Governmental and Financial Entities, Labor, and Public Safety.
The United States attorney general (AG) leads the United States Department of Justice, and is the chief lawyer of the federal government of the United States. The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all legal matters. The attorney general is a statutory member of the Cabinet of the United States.
Congress passed the Judiciary Act of 1789 which, among other things, established the Office of the Attorney General. The original duties of this officer were "to prosecute and conduct all suits in the Supreme Court in which the United States shall be concerned, and to give his advice and opinion upon questions of law when required by the president of the United States, or when requested by the heads of any of the departments". Some of these duties have since been transferred to the U…
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. The deputy attorney general is also expected to tender a resignation, but is commonly requested to stay on and act as the attorney general pending the confirmation by the Senate of the new attorney general.
U.S.C. Title 28, §508 establishes the first two positions in the line of succession, while allowing the attorney general to designate other high-ranking officers of the Department of Justice as subsequent successors. Furthermore, an Executive Order defines subsequent positions, the most recent from March 31, 2017, signed by President Donald Trump. The current line of succession is:
1. United States Deputy Attorney General
• Executive Order 13787 for "Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Justice"