who established the office of the attorney general;

by Jarred Ferry 6 min read

Congress passed the Judiciary Act of 1789 which, among other things, established the Office of the Attorney General.

What created the Office of Attorney General?

115 rows · The attorney general is supported by the Office of the Attorney General, which includes executive staff and several deputies. Merrick Garland has been the United States attorney general since March 11, 2021. ... The Department of Justice was established in 1870 to support the attorneys general in the discharge of their responsibilities.

Who was the first Attorney General?

Mar 12, 2021 · 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. Eighty-six distinguished Americans have served as Attorney General.

Does Attorney General have to be an attorney?

The Constitution of 1818, adopted on August 26, 1818, by a Constitutional Convention held in Kaskaskia, authorized the General Assembly to appoint an Attorney General and to regulate his duties by law. (Ill. Const. 1818, Schedule, ß10.) Illinois' first Attorney General was Daniel Pope Cook, who served for 11 days beginning on March 5, 1819.

What is the job description of an attorney general?

Karl A. Racine. Attorney General Karl A. Racine is the first elected Attorney General of the District of Columbia. With his inauguration in 2014, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) began an new era of independence for the agency and accountability to District residents. As the chief legal officer for the District of Columbia, Attorney General Racine relies on his 25 years of legal and …

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Who created the Office of the Attorney General?

Attorneys General Throughout History

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.
Mar 12, 2021

Why was the office of Attorney General created?

The Judiciary Act of 1789 created the Office of the Attorney General (AG) to represent the federal government in cases before the US Supreme Court and to give legal advice to the President or the heads of cabinet-level departments.

Who created the Office of Legal Policy?

Attorney General William French Smith
The Office of Legal Policy (OLP) was established by Attorney General William French Smith in 1981 as the principal Department office to plan, develop, and coordinate the implementation of major policy initiatives of high priority to the Department and to the Administration, and to assist the President and the Attorney ...

Who was first Attorney General?

Edmund Jennings Randolph
On September 26, 1789, Edmund Jennings Randolph was appointed the first Attorney General of the United States by President George Washington.

When did the Attorney General start?

1823
The first Attorney-General was Saxe Bannister who was appointed in the colony of New South Wales in 1823. Links to authoritative biographical information are given for federal Attorneys-General.

Who is the Attorney General of India current?

KK Venugopal
The current and 15th Attorney General of India is KK Venugopal, who started his services on June 30, 2017. The post of Attorney General of India is provided under the constitution and hence is a constitutional post.Jan 4, 2022

Is DOJ federal?

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United States.

What does White House counsel do?

The White House counsel is a senior staff appointee of the president of the United States whose role is to advise the president on all legal issues concerning the president and their administration.

How is the Department of Justice Organized?

The Office oversees the following DOJ components: Antitrust Division, Civil Division, Civil Rights Division, Environment and Natural Resources Division, Tax Division, Office of Justice Programs, Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), Community Relations Service, Office of Dispute Resolution, Office on Violence ...

Who was the first attorney in America?

Congress created the job of attorney general in 1789 when it passed the act that established the president's cabinet. Since each president chooses the members of his cabinet, George Washington chose the first attorney general. He chose Edmund Randolph for the job.

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 is the attorney general USA?

Image of Who is the attorney general USA?
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 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 is the role of the Attorney General?

The Attorney General represents the United States in legal matters generally and gives advice and opinions to the President and to the heads ...

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.

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 role of the Attorney General of Kenya?

In Kenya the Attorney General is the Principal Legal Adviser to the Government and ex officio Member of Parliament and Cabinet. His duties include the formulation of legal policy and ensuring proper administration of Kenya's legal system including professional legal education. Assisting the Attorney General in the performance of his duties as Principal Legal Adviser to the Government are:

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.

Who is a power of attorney?

The term was originally used to refer to any person who holds a general power of attorney to represent a principal in all matters. In the common law tradition, anyone who represents the state , especially in criminal prosecutions , is such an attorney.

Who is responsible for the administration of legal affairs in Trinidad and Tobago?

According to the Constitution of Trinidad and Tobago, the supreme law of the nation, The Attorney General shall be responsible for the administration of legal affairs in Trinidad and Tobago and legal proceedings for and against the State shall be taken— (a) in the case of civil proceedings, in the name of the Attorney General; (b) in the case of criminal proceedings, in the name of the State.

When was the Attorney General's Office established?

The 1870 Constitution, effective August 8, 1870, reestablished the Office of Attorney General as a constitutional office. Article V, section 1 of that Constitution provided as follows:

What is the role of the Attorney General?

As the chief legal officer of the State, the Attorney General has the constitutional duty of acting as legal adviser to and legal representative of State agencies. He or she has the prerogative of conducting legal affairs for the State.

What is the Attorney General's duty?

The court noted that it is the Attorney General's duty "to conduct the law business of the State, both in and out of the courts." Fergus, at 342.

What article of the Constitution prohibits the Attorney General?

The office was mentioned only in section 29 of article III, which continued a prohibition contained in article III, section 25 of the 1818 Constitution against the "attorney general" or an "attorney for the state," inter alia, holding a seat in the General Assembly.

What was the seat of government in 1833?

99), the Attorney General was required to "reside at the seat of government," and to "prosecute in the circuit in which the seat of government may be situate." The seat of government at the time was Vandalia, located in Fayette County, which was in the second circuit. In addition to Fayette, the second circuit included the counties of Madison, St. Clair, Monroe, Randolph, Washington, Clinton, Bond, Montgomery, and Shelby. (Revised Statutes 1829, p. 48.)

Which Supreme Court case dealt with the powers of the Attorney General?

In considering the powers of the Attorney General, the supreme court, in Fergus v. Russel, noted:

What does "first" mean in court?

First - - To appear for and represent the people of the state before the supreme court, in each of the grand divisions, in all cases in which the state or the people of the state are interested.

What is the office of the Attorney General?

The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) is the chief legal office of the District of Columbia. The Office enforces the laws of the District, defends and provides legal advice to the District’s government agencies and protects the interests of the District’s citizens.

What is the OAG's priority?

Attorney General Racine has established the following priorities for the OAG: data-driven juvenile justice reform, consumer protection for the District’s most vulnerable residents, affordable housing, advancing democracy and safeguarding public integrity.

Who established the first farm division in an attorney general's office?

Working for farmers has always been a mission for Mr. Miller, who established the nation's first farm division in an attorney general's office when he took office in 1978.

How long has Attorney General Miller been in office?

Attorney General Miller has served in office since he was first elected in 1978, except for four years (1991-94) when he was in private practice. Mr. Miller has earned a reputation for integrity, high quality legal work, and strong work on behalf of ordinary Iowans. Attorney General Miller is well known for his work to prevent crime ...

What is Attorney General Miller's job?

Mr. Miller and his office also have focused on fighting juvenile crime and working for improvements in the juvenile justice system. The office also provides extensive assistance to victims of crime, including crime victim compensation and support for local programs that aid victims.

When was the Attorney General of New Jersey established?

Early years of the office (1704-1946) The position of New Jersey Attorney General was first established in 1704, shortly after the provinces of East Jersey and West Jersey were reunited as a single colony.

What was the role of the Attorney General in 1963?

Division on Civil Rights. In 1963, the Attorney General assumed responsibility for the enforcement of the state’s civil rights laws.

What was the first independent agency in New Jersey?

During first half of the twentieth century, New Jersey established a number of independent agencies that would later fall under the Attorney General’s purview. In 1921, for example, the state created the New Jersey State Police, an independent Department under the supervision of its first Superintendent, H. Norman Schwarzkopf. In 1944, the state created the Department of Law, which assisted the Attorney General in providing legal advice to the Governor and state agencies.

What is the 1970 law enforcement directive?

The 1970 Act also granted the Attorney General the authority to issue statements of statewide policy – known as “law enforcement directives” – binding on all state, county, and local law enforcement officers in New Jersey. Division of Consumer Affairs. The following year, in 1971, the state established the Division of Consumer Affairs within ...

What law did the Attorney General of New Jersey pass in 1970?

Seven years later, in 1970, the state expanded the Attorney General’s criminal jurisdiction with the passage of the Criminal Justice Act of 1970, N.J.S.A. 52:17B-97, et seq., which created the Division of Criminal Justice and formally recognized the Attorney General as the state’s chief law enforcement officer. The 1970 Act also granted the Attorney General the authority to issue statements of statewide policy – known as “law enforcement directives” – binding on all state, county, and local law enforcement officers in New Jersey.

What was the purpose of the 1948 Act?

The 1948 Act also gave the Attorney General authority over divisions regulating alcoholic beverages, motor vehicles, professional boards, and weights & measures. In the second half of the twentieth century, the state expanded the responsibilities of the Department of Law & Public Safety, both by establishing new divisions ...

What department assisted the Attorney General in providing legal advice to the Governor and state agencies?

In 1944, the state created the Department of Law, which assisted the Attorney General in providing legal advice to the Governor and state agencies.

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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 Cash is the current Attorney-General. …

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

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

External links

• Quotations related to Attorney general at Wikiquote