who appoints attorney generals of states

by Ms. Esmeralda Koelpin I 10 min read

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.

Is the US Attorney General elected or appointed?

U.S. attorney generals should be elected, not appointed. That would instill more independence for the nation’s top law enforcer without being politically beholden to a chief executive. If there is any office that necessitates neutrality, it is the attorney general. Attorney generals are elected in 45 state systems across the country.

Who is the current Attorney General?

Truss, also, is a representative of a preposterous liar, her boss. And it was somewhat unfortunate timing that as she stood there, trying to find the suitable mask of disdain to wear for her vanity photographer in the crowd, in London, Sir John Major was giving a little speech of his own.

What is the salary of the US Attorney General?

What is the salary of the US Attorney General? Attorney General is a Level I position in the Executive Schedule, thus earning a salary of US$221,400, as of January 2021. Who is the acting US Attorney General?

What is the job of the US Attorney General?

  • 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

More items...

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How is the Attorney General of the US chosen?

The attorney general is a statutory member of the Cabinet of the United States. Under the Appointments Clause of the United States Constitution, the officeholder is nominated by the president of the United States, then appointed with the advice and consent of the United States Senate.

Who oversees the US attorney general?

The U.S. Attorney General is nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate.

Who appoints the attorney of General India?

The PresidentAttorney-General for India. (1) The President shall appoint a person who is qualified to be appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court to be Attorney-General for India.

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 does the attorney general of New York report to?

The attorney general advises the executive branch of state government and defends actions and proceedings on behalf of the state. The attorney general acts independently of the governor of New York.

Who appoints the governor of a State?

Appointment of Governor : The Governor of a State shall be appointed by the President by warrant under his hand and seal. Article 156. Term of office of Governor : (1) The Governor shall hold office during the pleasure of the President.

Who can remove Attorney General India?

the presidentThe constitution of India does not provide any fixed tenure to the Attorney General of India. So, AGI holds office during the pleasure of the president. The Attorney General of India can be removed by the president at any time. There is no procedure or ground mentioned in the constitution for the removal.

What is the difference between CJI 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.

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.

Who was the acting attorney general of the United States in 2017?

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.

What was the purpose of the Attorney General's Office?

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 .

How much does an attorney general make in 2021?

Attorney General is a Level I position in the Executive Schedule, thus earning a salary of US$ 221,400, as of January 2021.

When does the Attorney General have to resign?

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.

Who was the attorney general nominee for Clinton?

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.

When was the Department of Justice established?

The Department of Justice was established in 1870 to support the attorneys general in the discharge of their responsibilities.

How many states have an attorney general?

The attorney general is directly elected in 43 states and Washington, D.C. The attorney general is appointed by the state Legislature in Maine, by the state Supreme Court in Tennessee, and by the governor in the remaining five states. Compensation of state attorneys general (2017)

Which states have elected an attorney general in 2015?

Three states held elections for attorney general in 2015: Kentucky, Louisiana and Mississippi. In Kentucky, Andy Beshear (D) won election to the attorney general seat. Democrat Jim Hood was re-elected in Mississippi, while Republican Jeff Landry defeated incumbent Buddy Caldwell, also a Republican, in a runoff in Louisiana.

How many attorney generals did the Democratic Party control in 1977?

In 1977, the Democratic Party held a total of 27 elected attorney general offices to the Republican Party 's 16. The Democratic lead in attorney general offices would be maintained through the 1990s, as opposed to the other three top executive offices, which became majority-Republican following the 1994 midterm elections. In the 2010 midterm elections, the Republican Party gained a lead in elected attorney general offices, with 22 elected attorneys general to the Democrats' 21. The Democratic victory in the 2013 Virginia election for attorney general caused the party to briefly regain a 22-21 majority of elected attorney general offices. This lead was lost in the 2014 midterm elections. After that point, the Republican Party continued to grow its majority control of elected attorney general offices.

How many territories does Ballotpedia cover?

Although Ballotpedia covers the five U.S. territories#N#The five U.S. territories are American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands.#N#and their officeholders, territory officeholders are not included in the following figures.

How much does an attorney general make?

According to compensation figures for 2017 compiled by the Council of State Governments in the Book of the States, the highest salary for an attorney general is $182,688 in Tennessee, while the lowest is $80,000 in Colorado. To view the compensation of a particular attorney general, hover your mouse over the state.

What is the job of the Attorney General?

The attorney general is an executive office in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., that serves as the chief legal advisor and chief law enforcement officer for the state government and is empowered to prosecute violations of state law, represent the state in legal disputes and issue legal advice to state agencies and the legislature.

How many states have the power to appeal a criminal case?

Attorneys general: Power to represent state in criminal appeals. The attorney general has the power to represent the state in criminal appeals in 46 states, although this power is restricted in five of those states. Attorney general term limits. Attorney general term limits.

What does an attorney general represent?

Attorneys general represent their state and its residents. They do not represent or provide legal advice to individuals.

What are the duties of an attorney general?

The specific functions of an attorney general’s office vary from one jurisdiction to the next due to statutory and constitutional mandates. However, the most common and most important functions are: 1 Acting as the chief legal officer of the state 2 Control of litigation concerning the state 3 Providing formal opinions to clarify the law 4 Public advocacy 5 Criminal law enforcement, primarily on the appellate level 6 Law reform and legislative advocacy 7 Investigative authority

What are the functions of a chief legal officer?

However, the most common and most important functions are: Acting as the chief legal officer of the state. Control of litigation concerning the state. Providing formal opinions to clarify the law. Public advocacy. Criminal law enforcement, primarily on the appellate level. Law reform and legislative advocacy.

How many states have an attorney general?

The attorney general is appointed by the governor in five states: Alaska, Hawaii, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Wyoming. In Maine, the attorney general is chosen by the state legislature, while in Tennessee the choice falls to the state supreme court .

How does an attorney general influence a state?

Attorneys general exert substantial influence on a state's approach to law enforcement. Attorneys general often set particular law enforcement priorities (e.g. drug law, civil rights violations or sexual crime) and focus extra resources on these issues. This puts them, in the words of the National Association of Attorneys General, at the "intersection of law and public policy." Forty-three states publicly elect their attorneys general, reinforcing the office's relationship with, and direct accountability to, the people, in contrast with the Kings Attorneys of the past, whose singular service to their version of governors must have left those being governed wanting.

Why are state attorneys general restless?

One possible explanation for state attorneys general becoming more restless and political-minded is the office's rising media profile, which is a function of the rising capacity of the internet and mainstream press to produce and distribute content on controversial cases involving the AGs . Another, possible more likely, explanation is the office's status as a springboard to higher office - to the governorship, especially. Nine sitting governors as of November 2013 previously served as attorney general of their respective states:

How many states have no law degree requirements?

Considering the myriad legal responsibilities carried by state attorneys general, it may surprise you to discover that a whopping 19 states have no set statutory or constitutional provisions requiring an individual to hold a law degree, or have a valid license to practice law, in order to serve in the office of attorney general.

How long can an attorney general serve in Tennessee?

1, Tennessee, is appointed by the State Supreme Court to serve a term of eight years. 1, Virginia, has a provision specifying an individual can serve as attorney general for an unlimited number of terms.

How many states require an attorney general to be a citizen?

U.S. citizen. 38 states have a formal provision stating an attorney general must be a United States citizen, while 12 do not have a formal provision. Of the 38 states, 5 specify the number of years and 33 do not.

How many states have a state resident requirement for an attorney general?

1, Oklahoma, sets the limit at 31. 1, Colorado, sets the limit at 27. 1, Mississippi, sets the limit at 26. State Citizen. 43 states have a formal provision stating an attorney general must be a state resident, while 7 do not have a formal provision. Of the 43 states, 24 specify the number of years and 19 do not.

How is the Attorney General appointed?

Five states — Alaska, Hawaii, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Wyoming — have AGs appointed by the governor. Maine and Tennessee use different methods altogether — in Maine, the Attorney General is selected by secret ballot of the legislature and in Tennessee, the state AG is appointed by the state Supreme Court.

When did the Office of Corporation Counsel change to Office of the Attorney General?

The change came about in 2004 when then-Mayor Anthony Williams signed an order renaming the “Office of the Corporation Counsel for the District of Columbia” to “the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia.”. The powers and duties of the O.C.C./OAG are similar to those of the Attorneys General of the several states, ...

Which states have AGs?

Five states — Alaska, Hawaii, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Wyoming — have AGs appointed by the governor. Maine and Tennessee use different methods altogether — in Maine, the Attorney General is selected by secret ballot of the legislature and in Tennessee, the state AG is appointed by the state Supreme Court.

Who is charged with enforcing false claims?

In each state or jurisdiction with a false claims act, the Office of the Attorney General is charged with supervising the enforcement of the statute. To my knowledge, no other state is currently hashing out this old argument about elected vs. appointed AGs, so I thought it would prove of interest to readers.

Should we elect an attorney general?

One of the things to be said in favor of electing an Attorney General is that you don’t have an individual in that job who does nothing more than carry water for the Mayor (or for the Governor). On the other hand, some people worry about the ability of an elected Attorney General to properly prosecute cases of fraud on the government because such cases are sometimes (but not always) against the sorts of companies who contribute to state wide campaigns.

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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"