what is the term of the attorney general

by Prof. Aurelia Wintheiser V 7 min read

How many terms can an attorney general serve?

Attorney General. The chief law enforcement officer of the United States or of a state government, typically serving in an Executive Branch position. The individual represents the government in litigation and serves as the principal advisor to government officials and agencies in legal matters.

How long is the term for an US Attorney General?

attorney general. n, pl attorneys general or attorney generals. 1. (Law) a country's chief law officer and senior legal adviser to its government. 2. (Law) (in the US) the chief law officer and legal adviser of a state government. 3. (Law) (in some states of the US) a public prosecutor. 4.

What does Attorney General mean?

51 rows · In 16 states, the office of Attorney General is subject to term limits. Most states with term limits specify that an office-holder may serve two consecutive terms. Most states do not specify that the two terms are an absolute limit, so that a former Attorney General may usually run again after a time, usually unspecified, out of office.

What is the term limit of the Attorney General?

Jun 20, 2020 · The Attorney General is the Head of the Justice Department and the attorney for the United States in all legal matters. They dispense legal advice to the president and the heads of other governmental agencies when requested.

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How long is US attorney general term?

United States Attorney General
Term lengthNo fixed term
Constituting instrument28 U.S.C. § 503
FormationSeptember 26, 1789
First holderEdmund Randolph
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Are Attorney Generals elected in the US?

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.

Who is the current Attorney General of the US?

Image of Who is the current Attorney General of the US?
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

Who is the current Attorney General of Ontario?

Doug Downey
Doug Downey was appointed Attorney General of Ontario on 20 June 2019, replacing Caroline Mulroney.
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Attorney General of Ontario
Executive Council of Ontario
StyleThe Honourable
Term lengthAt Her Majesty's Pleasure
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Who is the highest law officer?

Advocate General of the State is the highest law officer in the state. The Constitution of India (Article 165) has provided for the office of the Advocate General for the states. Also, he corresponds to the Attorney General of India.

How many attorney generals are there in New York?

New York Former Attorneys General
Barbara Underwood (Acting)2018
Eric Schneiderman2011 – 2018
Andrew M. Cuomo2007 – 2010
Eliot Spitzer1999 – 2006
Dennis Vacco1995 – 1998
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Who was Attorney General in the 1980s?

August 12, 1988 – August 15, 1991: Richard L. Thornburgh, a Republican, served as the 76th U.S. attorney general, appointed by Ronald Reagan, and served in both the Reagan and the George H.W.

Who was the first female Attorney General of the United States?

Janet Wood Reno (July 21, 1938 – November 7, 2016) was an American lawyer who served as the 78th United States attorney general from 1993 to 2001, the second-longest serving in that position, after William Wirt. A member of the Democratic Party, Reno was the first woman to hold that post.

Who runs the DOJ?

The Attorney General of the United States
The Attorney General of the United States – appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate – heads the DOJ with its more than 100,000 attorneys, special agents, and other staff. It represents the United States in federal criminal and civil litigation, and provides legal advice to the President and Cabinet.

Who is the current Attorney General of Canada?

Honourable David Lametti
The Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointment under the judicial application process established in 2016.

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 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 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.

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 the job of an attorney general?

Attorney General. The chief law enforcement officer of the United States or of a state government, typically serving in an Executive Branch position. The individual represents the government in litigation and serves as the principal advisor to government officials and agencies in legal matters.

When was the Attorney General created?

The office of the attorney general was created by the First Congress in the Judiciary Act of 1789 (An Act to Establish the Judicial Courts of the United States, ch. 20, § 35, 1 Stat. 73, 92–93). The First Congress did not expect the attorney general—a part-time employee with scant pay, no staff, and little power—to play a major role in ...

What is the role of the Solicitor General?

The June 22, 1870, law created a new position, that of Solicitor General, whose holder is in charge of representing the government in suits and appeals in the Supreme Court and in lower federal trial and appellate courts, in cases involving the interests of the United States.

When was the Department of Justice created?

A department of justice was first suggested in 1851 by Alex H. H. Stuart, secretary of the newly established department of the interior.

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.

Is the Attorney General the same as the Minister of Justice?

The Attorney-General attends Cabinet, but the post is not the same as the Minister of Justice. By tradition, persons appointed to the position of Attorney-General have been lawyers. Only two former Attorneys-General have not been lawyers, most recently Dr Michael Cullen who held the post in 2005, and again from 2006.

Does the Attorney General give legal advice?

In practice, the extent to which the attorney general personally provides legal advice to the government varies between jurisdictions, and even between individual office-holders within the same jurisdiction, often depending on the level and nature of the office-holder's prior legal experience.

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 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.

When was the Attorney General of Tonga established?

The office of Attorney General was established in Tonga in 1988, and was held jointly with the portfolio of Justice Minister until the two were separated in 2009. The Attorney General is defined as the "Chief Legal Advisor to Government".

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 does "Attorney General" mean?

Attorney General. n. 1. (Law) (in the United Kingdom except Scotland) the senior law officer and chief legal counsel of the Crown: a member of the government and of the House of Commons. 2.

What is the definition of a public prosecutor?

1. (Law) a country's chief law officer and senior legal adviser to its government. 2. (Law) (in the US) the chief law officer and legal adviser of a state government. 3. (Law) (in some states of the US) a public prosecutor. 4. (Professions) (in some states of the US) a public prosecutor.

Who is the Attorney General of the United States?

William Barr is the current Attorney General of the United States. He replaced Jeff Sessions in 2019 after President Trump fired Sessions. 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 ...

What is the role of the Attorney General?

Attorneys throughout the country, the Attorney General may provide guidance interpreting the law to assist in prosecuting or defending the United States in legal proceedings. The Attorney General also oversees the federal prison system and all of the systems that pertain to it.

Who replaced Jeff Sessions?

He replaced Jeff Sessions in 2019 after President Trump fired Sessions. 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.

How many times has Barr been Attorney General?

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.

What is the Department of Justice?

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.

When was the Office of the Attorney General created?

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.

Who is in charge of the Justice Department?

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.

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 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.

History

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…

Presidential transition

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.

Line of succession

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

See also

• Executive Order 13787 for "Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Justice"

Overview

In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen ) 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, prosecutions or even responsibility for legal affairs generally. In practice, the extent to which the attorney general personally provides legal advice to the government varies betwee…

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 Englandin the 11th-century. As a variety of French, which was spoken in the law courts, schools, …

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 Cashis the current Attorney-General. …

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 Ministerfor a period of 5 years and must have the same qualifications re…

External links

• Quotations related to Attorney general at Wikiquote