what position does the attorney general of the united states hold

by Dr. Diana Rolfson DDS 5 min read

The United States attorney general (AG) leads the United States Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The department is headed by the U.S. Attorney General, who reports directly to the president of the United States and is a member of the president's Cabinet. The current attorney general is Merrick Garland, who was sworn in March 11, 2021.
https://en.wikipedia.org › United_States_Department_of_Justice
, and is the chief lawyer of the federal government of the United States
federal government of the United States
State governments of the United States are institutional units exercising functions of government at a level below that of the federal government. Each U.S. state's government holds legislative, executive, and judicial authority over a defined geographic territory.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › State_governments_of_the_U...
. The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all legal matters.

What is the job of an attorney general?

115 rows · The United States attorney general 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. Under the Appointments …

How to become the Attorney General?

Attorney General. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland was sworn in as the 86 th Attorney General of the United States on March 11, 2021. As the nation’s chief law enforcement officer, Attorney General Garland leads the Justice Department’s 115,000 employees, who work across the United States and in more than 50 countries worldwide.

What position does the Attorney General of the US hold?

Mar 23, 2010 · The attorney general holds the power of attorney in representing a government in all legal matters. The attorney general is nominated by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. There is no designated term for the attorney general, rather the president can remove him or her from the office at any time.

What is the job description of the US Attorney General?

The top law enforcement officer of the nation is an individual who serves as the U.S. government's top legal adviser and the head of the Department of Justice. He or she is called the United States Attorney General and must be nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate.

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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.

What happens if there is no Attorney General?

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 ...

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 did Barr do to preserve the power of the Trump presidency?

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. Barr began his tenure last year by lying about the content of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report.

What was the name of the department that was created after the Civil War?

To mitigate the situation, Congress created the Department of Justice , an executive department with the Attorney General as its head.

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.

Why should the Justice Department not be politicized?

The Department of Justice should be arguing to uphold the law and the office should not be politicized due to presidential influence or pressure. The Justice Department is supposed to be an independent agency and not subject to the pressure of the executive branch.

What is the role of the Attorney General?

In June 1870 Congress enacted a law entitled “An Act to Establish the Department of Justice.” This Act established the Attorney General as head of the Department of Justice and gave the Attorney General direction and control of U.S. Attorneys and all other counsel employed on behalf of the United States. The Act also vested in the Attorney General supervisory power over the accounts of U.S. Attorneys and U.S. Marshals.

What is the Office of the Associate Attorney General?

Office of the Associate Attorney General. The Office of the Associate Attorney General (OASG) was created by Attorney General Order No. 699-77 on March 10, 1977. As the third-ranking official at the Department of Justice, the ASG is a principal member of the Attorney General’s senior management team. The major functions of the ASG are to:

What is the role of the ODAG?

The mission of the ODAG is to advise and assist the Attorney General in formulating and implementing Department policies and programs and in providing overall supervision and direction to all organizational units of the Department. The major functions of the DAG are to:

Who created the Office of the Deputy Attorney General?

Office of the Deputy Attorney General. On May 24, 1950, Attorney General J. Howard McGrath created the Office of the Deputy Attorney General (ODAG). The Deputy Attorney, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the Department's second-ranking official and functions as a Chief Operating Officer;

Who provides advice and opinions on legal matters?

Furnish advice and opinions, formal and informal, on legal matters to the President and the Cabinet and to the heads of the executive departments and agencies of the government, as provided by law.

What is the FISA order?

Act on behalf of the Attorney General for purposes of authorizing searches and electronic surveillance under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and Executive Order 12333 on Intelligence. Review and recommend to the Attorney General whether to seek or decline to seek the death penalty in specific cases.

What does the Attorney General do?

The attorney general prosecutes cases that involve the government and gives advice to the president and heads of the executive departments when needed. As the chief officer of the Department of Justice, the attorney general enforces federal laws, provides legal counsel in federal cases, interprets the laws that govern executive departments, ...

Who is the attorney general appointed by?

Some attorneys general are elected in statewide contests, while others are appointed by the governor, legislature or supreme court. The projects that an attorney general can take on are wide ranging.

What is the role of an attorney?

While attorneys are responsible for prosecuting offenses against the United States and prosecuting or defending in proceedings in which the United States requires representation, marshals issue orders and processes under the authority of the United States.

Who is the longest serving attorney general in Michigan?

The longest serving state attorney general was Frank J. Kelley who served for 37 years. He served from 1961 to 1998. At the time of his election at the age of 36, he was the youngest in his state's history. By the end of his term at the age of 74, he was the oldest ever to serve. He earned the moniker "Eternal General" [source: Michigan Bar ].

Can the President remove the Attorney General?

There is no designated term for the attorney general, rather the president can remove him or her from the office at any time. Additionally, the attorney general can be impeached and tried by Congress if deemed necessary.

Who was the Attorney General of the United States in 1972?

Jan. 20, 1969 – Feb. 15, 1972: John N. Mitchell was the 67 th attorney general of the United States. Mitchell, a Republican, was appointed by President Richard Nixon for whom he was a key adviser and a close friend. He became the director for the Committee to Re-elect the President in 1972 following his resignation as attorney general.

Who was the 79th attorney general?

Feb.2, 2001 – Feb 3, 2005: John Ashcroft, a Republican, was nominated and appointed by George W . Bush to be the 79 th attorney general. He is a graduate of Yale University and also the University of Chicago, the latter of which is where he earned his law degree.

What did Griffin Bell do during his time as Attorney General?

During his time as attorney general he argued on the behalf of Americans who were being held hostage during the Iran hostage crisis, and argued for the right of the governments to denaturalize Nazi war criminals.

How long was Richard Kleindienst in prison?

He was sentenced to nineteen months in prison for his involvement. Feb. 15, 1972 – May 25, 1973: Republican Richard Kleindienst served as the 68 th U.S. attorney general. During World War II, Kleindienst was active duty military and served in the United States Army Air Corps. He was also a Harvard Law School graduate.

What was the 4th cabinet level position created by Congress?

The Judiciary Act of 1789, which was passed by Congress, established the Office of the Attorney General. In the order of creation, the position of attorney general was the fourth cabinet level position created by Congress, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Why was Mitchell in jail?

Due to his part in the Watergate Scandal, Mitchell was found guilty of perjury, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy. He was sentenced to nineteen months in prison for his involvement.

When did Richardson become governor of Massachusetts?

He became the attorney general for Massachusetts in 1959, and in 1964 he was elected lieutenant governor of Massachusetts. In 1969 President Nixon swore Richardson in as the Under Secretary of State and a year later he became Secretary for the Department of Health, Education and Welfare.

Who was the first black woman to be a district attorney in California?

In 2004-2010, Kamala Harris served as the first woman District Attorney in San Francisco's history, and as the first African American woman and South Asian American woman in California to hold the office.

What office did Harris work for?

In 1998, Harris was named managing attorney of the Career Criminal Unit of the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, where she prosecuted three strikes cases and serial felony offenders.

Who is Kamala Harris?

Kamala D. Harris, 32nd Attorney General. Born and raised in the East Bay, Kamala is the daughter of Dr. Shyamala Gopalan, a Tamilian breast cancer specialist who traveled to the United States from Chennai, India to pursue her graduate studies at UC Berkeley.

What college did Kamala go to?

After attending public schools, Kamala's strong commitment to justice and public service led her to Howard University, America’s oldest historically black university, and then to the University of Cali fornia, Hastings College of the Law.

What is the surgeon general?

The surgeon general of the United States is the operational head of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHSCC) and thus the leading spokesperson on matters of public health in the federal government of the United States. The Surgeon General's office and staff are known as the Office of the Surgeon General ( OSG) ...

Who was the only surgeon general to hold the rank of a four star admiral?

The only surgeon general to actually hold the rank of a four-star admiral was David Satcher (born 1941, served 1998–2002). This was because he served simultaneously in the positions of surgeon general (three-star) and assistant secretary for health (which is a four-star office).

How many members are in the commissioned corps?

The surgeon general is the overall head of the commissioned corps, a 6,500-member cadre of uniformed health professionals who are on call 24 hours a day and can be dispatched by the secretary of HHS or the assistant secretary for Health in the event of a public health emergency.

What is the highest award in the world?

The surgeon general is also the ultimate award authority for several public health awards and decorations, the highest of which that can be directly awarded is the Surgeon General's Medallion (the highest award bestowed by board action is the Public Health Service Distinguished Service Medal ).

How long is the term of the surgeon general?

The surgeon general serves a four-year term of office and, depending on whether the current assistant secretary for health is a commissioned corps officer, is either the senior or next most senior uniformed officer of the commissioned corps, holding the rank of a vice admiral. The current surgeon general is Vice Admiral Vivek Murthy .

What are the uniforms of the commissioned corps?

Officers of the commissioned corps, including the surgeon general, wear uniforms that are modeled after uniforms of the United States Navy and the United States Coast Guard, except that the commissioning devices, buttons, and insignia are unique .

What is the Marine Hospital Fund?

In 1798, Congress established the Marine Hospital Fund, a network of hospitals that cared for sick and disabled seamen. The Marine Hospital Fund was reorganized along military lines in 1870 and became the Marine Hospital Service —predecessor to today's United States Public Health Service. The service became a separate bureau of the Treasury Department with its own staff, administration, headquarters in Washington, D.C, and the position of supervising surgeon (later surgeon general, where in this context the adjective "general" following the noun meaning widespread or overall, not military rank).

Who is the head of the judicial branch?

As the head of the judicial branch, the Chief Justice is its spokesman and advocate. In this capacity, the late Chief Justice, William H. Rehnquist, took a leadership role in pressing for increases in judicial salaries and in funding for judicial branch operations.

Why is the appointment of the Chief Justice of the United States important?

The appointment of each Justice to the Supreme Court is significant because of the enormous judicial power that the Court exercises as the highest appellate court in the federal judiciary.

What happens after the Senate votes on a nominee?

After Senate debate on the nomination is concluded, the Senate votes to confirm or disapprove the nomination, with confirmation requiring a majority vote. If the Senate votes in the negative on whether to confirm, the nomination is defeated, and a resolution of disapproval is forwarded to the President.

What is the Judicial Conference?

The Judicial Conference of the United States is the policy-making body for the administration of the federal court system. Theconference comprises the chief judges of the 13 courts of appeals, a district court judge from each of the 12 regional circuits, and the chief judge of the Court of International Trade.

What are the criteria for selecting a Supreme Court nominee?

Criteria for Selecting a Nominee. The precise criteria used in selecting a Supreme Court nominee will vary from President to President. Two general motivations, however, appear to underlie the choices of almost every President, whether the appointment is for Chief Justice or for an Associate Justice seat . One motivation is to have the nomination serve the President's political interests ( in the partisan and electoral senses of the word "political," as well as in the public policy sense ); the second is to demonstrate that a search was successfully made for a nominee having the highest professional qualifications.

What are the statutory duties of the Chief Justice?

In this capacity, key statutory duties of the Chief Justice include chairmanship of the Judicial Conference of the United States, (13) overall supervision of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, (14) and chairmanship of the Board of the Federal Judicial Center.

What are the responsibilities of the Chief Justice?

Article I, Section 3, Clause 6 states that the Chief Justice shall serve as the presiding officer of the Senate during an impeachment trial of the President. Otherwise the Constitution does not mention the Chief Justice. The Judiciary Act of 1789, one of the first laws enacted by the first Congress, stipulated that the Supreme Court would consist of a Chief Justice and five Associate Justices. (9) In the two centuries that followed, Congress enacted legislation authorizing certain powers to the Chief Justice, and other duties have evolved over time through custom and practice.

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What Is The Role of The Attorney General?

  • 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. The Attorney General may support important cases that go to the Supreme Court of the United States if the case is deemed important in nature. The Atto…
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How Does One Become Attorney General?

  • The position of Attorney General is an appointed one, nominated by the president and confirmed by the United States Senate. 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 …
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What Are The Most Important Powers of The Attorney General?

  • The Attorney General will provide advice and guidance to the president and other high ranking officials regarding the law and how it should be implemented. This provides the Attorney General with a great deal of power, as they would have the ability to shape how laxly or punitively the law is to be applied. As the Justice Department has such wide-reaching tentacles of power in matter…
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Who Is The Current Attorney General?

  • 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 that the Executive branch claims a…
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What Agencies Are Under 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: 1. Antitrust 2. Civil 3. Civil Rights 4. Criminal 5. Environmental and Natural Resources 6. Tax Each division is headed up by an Assistant Attorney General, and man…
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History of The Attorney General

  • The Office of the Attorney General was createdin 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. The work quickly grew, requiring the addition of multiple assistants and private attorne…
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List of Attorneys General

  1. William Barr, 2019 – Present
  2. Jeff Sessions, 2017 – 2018
  3. Loretta Lynch, 2015 – 2017
  4. Eric Holder, Jr., 2009 – 2015
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The Rantt Rundown

  • The Department of Justice, created in 1789, has grown from a part-time, one-person office to become the world’s largest law office, encompassing sixty different agencies and offices. 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 tr…
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Office of The Attorney General

  • The position of Attorney General was created by the Judiciary Act of 1789. In June 1870 Congress enacted a law entitled “An Act to Establish the Department of Justice.” This Act established the Attorney General as head of the Department of Justice and gave the Attorney General direction and control of U.S. Attorneys and all other counsel employed on behalf of the United States. Th…
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Office of The Deputy Attorney General

  • On May 24, 1950, Attorney General J. Howard McGrath created the Office of the Deputy Attorney General (ODAG). The Deputy Attorney, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the Department's second-ranking official and functions as a Chief Operating Officer; 25 components and 93 U.S. Attorneys report directly to the Deputy and 13 additional component…
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Office of The Associate Attorney General

  • The Office of the Associate Attorney General (OASG) was created by Attorney General Order No. 699-77 on March 10, 1977. As the third-ranking official at the Department of Justice, the ASG is a principal member of the Attorney General’s senior management team. The major functions of the ASG are to: 1. Advise and assist the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General on the formul…
See more on justice.gov