when was the department of the attorney general founded

When was the first Attorney General created?

Mar 23, 2010 · The Judiciary Act of 1789, passed by the First Congress and signed into law President George Washington, established the office of the attorney general. According the provisions made when creating the office, the United States attorney general would be appointed by the president of the United States.

What is the Office of the Attorney General?

Mar 12, 2021 · About the Office. 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. The Attorney General represents the United States in legal matters generally and gives advice and opinions to the President and to ...

When was the Department of Justice created?

Dec 04, 2017 · Bill establishing Department of Justice. Photo by Donna Sokol. It is a curiosity of history that while the office of the Attorney General of the United States was created by the first congress as a part of the Judiciary Act of 1789, the Department of Justice was not authorized until over eighty years later, in 1870.

How many US attorneys have served as 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.

Why was the DOJ created?

By 1870, after the end of the Civil War, the increase in the amount of litigation involving the United States had required the very expensive retention of a large number of private attorneys to handle the workload. A concerned Congress passed the Act to Establish the Department of Justice (ch. 150, 16 Stat.

Who founded the DOJ?

Ulysses S. GrantUnited States Department of Justice / FounderUlysses S. Grant was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. Wikipedia

How was the DOJ created?

The traditional view is that Congress created the DOJ to increase the federal government's capacity to litigate a growing docket due to the Civil War. More recent scholarship contends that Congress created the DOJ to enforce Reconstruction and ex-slaves' civil rights.Jan 31, 2014

What did the attorney general do in 1789?

The office of attorney general of the United States was created by the Judiciary Act of 1789 that divided the country into districts and set up courts in each one, along with attorneys with the responsibility for civil and criminal actions in their districts.Feb 24, 2022

When was the State Department created?

July 27, 1789United States Department of State / FoundedThe Department of State is a United States executive department formed in 1789 to assist the president in foreign and domestic diplomatic affairs.

Is the FBI under the DOJ?

As part of the Department of Justice (DOJ), the FBI reports the results of its investigations to the attorney general of the United States and his assistants in Washington, D.C., and to the United States attorneys' offices in the country's federal judicial districts.

How old is the Department of Justice?

A historical timeline created to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the creation of the Department of Justice, spanning from its beginnings in 1789 to the Department's founding in 1870 to today.

Who was the first chief justice of the Supreme Court?

John JayThe First Supreme Court As stipulated by the Judiciary Act of 1789, there was one Chief Justice, John Jay, and five Associate Justices: James Wilson, William Cushing, John Blair, John Rutledge and James Iredell.

Who was the first woman Attorney General?

Janet Wood Reno (July 21, 1938 – November 7, 2016) was an American lawyer who served as the 78th United States attorney general under President Bill Clinton 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 the post.

Who was George Washington's Attorney General?

Randolph had handled much of President Washington's personal legal work, and Washington appointed him as the first Attorney General of the United States in 1789 and then as Secretary of State in 1794.

Who was the Attorney General under George Washington?

General Edmund RandolphWashington's Cabinet While the current presidential cabinet includes sixteen members, George Washington's cabinet included just four original members: Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of Treasury Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of War Henry Knox, and Attorney General Edmund Randolph.

Who created the office of Attorney General?

The Judiciary Act of 1789, passed by the First Congress and signed into law President George Washington, established the office of the attorney general. According the provisions made when creating the office, the United States attorney general would be appointed by the president of the United States.

What is the history of the Attorney General?

The history of attorney general in the United States dates back to the American Revolution and the establishment of a federal government free from Great Britain. Although Americans did not want to create a monarchy like Britain's, they thought it was important to institute an office similar to the British attorney general.

How many people have served as an attorney general?

Throughout the history of the office, 81 Americans have served as attorney general. When individual states were drafting their constitutions, most modeled their government on the federal system, and thus established the office of the attorney general on a state level.

When was the first attorney general appointed?

During this time, French legal terms were introduced into the English system of government. The first mention of the term attornus Regis, or "king's attorney," was made in 1253. In 1472, the first formal appointment was made ...

Who was the first female attorney general?

Janet Reno was appointed as the first female Attorney General in 1993. Appointed by President Bill Clinton, Reno, the 78th attorney general of the U.S., also holds the distinction of being the longest-serving attorney general of the 20th century (1993-2001).

When was the first king's attorney appointed?

The first mention of the term attornus Regis, or "king's attorney," was made in 1253. In 1472, the first formal appointment was made [source: History of the Attorney General's Office ]. The office of the attorney general has always been of great importance; the attorney general was both legal representative of the king and royal government as well ...

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.

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 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.

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 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…”.

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.

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 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 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 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.

When was the Department of Justice created?

It is a curiosity of history that while the office of the Attorney General of the United States was created by the first congress as a part of the Judiciary Act of 1789, the Department of Justice was not authorized until over eighty years later, in 1870. And there shall also be appointed a meet person, learned in the law, ...

Who introduced the Department of Justice?

In 1868, after the House Judiciary Committee asked Stanbery to respond to a similar inquiry, Representative Thomas Jenckes of Rhode Island introduced a bill to establish a department of justice. This bill was referred to the Joint Select Committee on Retrenchment, a committee impaneled to consider legislation to reduce the size and cost ...

What is the purpose of Section 35 of the Judiciary Act?

And there shall also be appointed a meet person, learned in the law, to act attorney-general for the United States, who shall be sworn or affirmed to a faithful execution of his office; whose duty it shall be to prosecute and conduct all suits in the Supreme Court in which the United States shall be ...

What department would supervise local attorneys?

The Treasury Department would continue to have a role in supervising the work of local attorneys until the creation of the Department of Justice. Later in the 19th century, each executive department, and the Court of Claims, would be authorized to hire legal staff. Only a few cases would arise under the nascent federal criminal law, ...

What was the purpose of the marshal act?

The act provided for the appointment of a marshal for each court, who could, as needed, designate deputies. The Attorney General was to receive compensation set by the Congress, but the local district United States Attorneys were paid fees based on their courtroom work. The United States Attorneys were not under the supervision ...

What is Section 35?

Section 35 also established the office of an attorney for each district court, an individual “learned in the law,” who was responsible for representing the United States in all civil and criminal trials before the district court, except for those before the Supreme Court. The act provided for the appointment of a marshal for each court, who could, ...

What was the most famous case of the Republican period?

Only a few cases would arise under the nascent federal criminal law, the most famous of the early Republican period being the treason trial of Aaron Burr. For a number of years, the local attorneys were not authorized to employ staff, but they were later allowed to retain local counsel to assist as needed.

What was the role of the Attorney General of the United States in the early years of the Republic?

In the early years of the Republic, the attorney general of the United States, a position established by Congress in the Judiciary Act of 1789, was a part-time job held by a single individual. At one time, the attorney general gave legal advice to Congress and the president .

When did the Justice Department begin to expand its law enforcement?

With passage of the Interstate Commerce Act in 1887, the Justice Department began to undertake an ever-broader law enforcement agenda — which Congress has continued to expand to this day. SOURCE: WWW.JUSTICE.GOV.

When did the House Judiciary Committee study the legal system?

In 1867 , in the aftermath of the Civil War, the House Judiciary Committee studied whether to set up a “law department” within the executive branch, headed by the attorney general and made up of the various departmental solicitors as well as U.S. attorneys.

Who was the committee chairman of the Justice Department?

On Feb. 19, 1868, Rep. William Lawrence (R-Ohio), the committee chairman, introduced a bill to create a Justice Department along these lines. But Lawrence’s measure failed — in part because Lawrence devoted much of his time to conducting impeachment proceedings against President Andrew Johnson.

Who was charged with formulating and supervising the government’s stance in litigation before the Supreme Court?

But the law spawned a new office, U.S. solicitor general, who was charged with formulating and supervising the government’s stance in litigation before the Supreme Court. In 1884, after control of the federal prison system was transferred from the Interior Department to the Justice Department, several new penitentiaries were built.

Pro Bono Legal Services

Pro bono legal services include many types of legal services performed without or at a substantially reduced rate of compensation.

Contact Information

Contact information for the Attorney General and the Department of Law can be found below. If you have a specific question, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page first to see if your question may have already been answered.

Kenai District Attorney's Office

Scot H. Leaders, District Attorney Trading Bay Professional Center 120 Trading Bay Road, Suite 200 Kenai AK 99611-7716

Who is Fred the DOJ?

Fred is the deputy attorney general. He is responsible for daily operations and serves as a key advisor to the Attorney General. Fred has been with the department since 1994 and was the long time chief counsel of the Civil Enforcement Division. Prior to working for the Oregon DOJ, Fred was in private practice in Portland, Oregon and Houston, Texas. Fred received his bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a J.D. from the University of San Diego. Fred also holds an LL.M., an internationally recognized postgraduate law degree, from the London School of Economics.

Who is Bill from Oregon?

Phone: 503-373-1535. Bill is the chief financial officer for the Oregon Department of Justice. He is responsible for the agency’s budget, fiscal impact statements and performance measurements.

Who is Kimberly McCullough?

Email: [email protected]. Phone: 503-378-6002. Kimberly is the legislative director for the Office of the Attorney General. Kimberly began her legal career in private practice at Davis Wright Tremaine.

Who is the director of civil rights in Oregon?

Fay Stetz-Waters is the Civil Rights Director for the Oregon Department of Justice. As the Director of Civil Rights, she is committed to increasing the Department’s impact on civil rights issues affecting marginalized and vulnerable Oregonians.

Who is Ellen Klem?

Email: [email protected]. Phone: 503-378-6002. Ellen is the director of consumer outreach and education for the Office of the Attorney General. Her mission is to prevent financial harm to Oregonians, especially older adults, Oregonians whose first language is not English, and students with large education-related debts.

Who is Kristina Edmunson?

Kristina Edmunson, Communications Director. Email: [email protected]. Phone: 503-378-6002. Kristina is the communications director for the Office of the Attorney General. She formerly served as the deputy communications director for the Peace Corps in Washington, D.C., where she was responsible for the management ...

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 Cashis the current Attorney-General. …

Etymology

Similar offices in non-common law jurisdictions

External links