Attorney General Kwame Raoul (Democrat) was sworn in as the 42nd Attorney General of Illinois in January 2019. Born in Chicago to Haitian immigrants, Raoul brings a lifetime of legal and policy experience, advocacy and public service to the Office of the Attorney General. As the state’s chief legal and law enforcement officer, Attorney General Raoul has demonstrated a commitment to …
May 12, 2022 · attorney general raoul: $43 million to be distributed to illinois consumers in settlement over fixed prices for crt televisions and monitors …
Attorney General Raoul is committed to defending the rights of all the people of Illinois. Bureaus within the office are dedicated to specifically protecting civil, …
May 02, 2022 · Access to Illinois Attorney General Services and Information. Friday, April 29 2022 ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL JOINS LAWSUIT AGAINST U.S. POSTAL SERVICE CLAIMING FAULTY ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW OF NEW VEHICLE PURCHASES
Topic | Agency Referral | Contact Information |
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Homeowner Helpline | Illinois Attorney General | 312-814-5094 866-544-7151 (Voice TTY) |
# | Name | Term |
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39 | Roland W. Burris | 1991–1995 |
40 | Jim Ryan | 1995–2003 |
41 | Lisa Madigan | 2003–2019 |
42 | Kwame Raoul | 2019–present |
Illinois Attorney General | |
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Length of term: | 4 years |
Authority: | Illinois Constitution, Article V, Section 1 |
Selection Method: | Elected |
Current Officeholder |
Role. Under the Constitution of Illinois, the Attorney General is the state's chief legal officer, and has the powers and duties prescribed by law. The Attorney General's duties include advocating for the people of Illinois, working with the General Assembly to push for new legislation, and litigating to ensure that state laws are followed.
Based in Chicago and Springfield, Illinois, the Attorney General is responsible for providing legal counsel for the various state agencies including the Governor of Illinois and Illinois General Assembly, and conducting all legal affairs pertaining to the state.
The office of the Illinois Attorney General was established on December 3, 1818 based on guidelines adopted by a state constitutional convention. The Attorney General is second (behind the Lieutenant Governor) in the line of succession to the office of Governor of Illinois.
The first person to fulfill the duties of the office was Daniel Pope Cook who only served eleven days, and was later elected to the United States Congress. Cook County was named in his honor. The current holder of the office is Kwame Raoul .
The Attorney General also oversees the Public Access Counselor, which is responsible for enforcing the state's Freedom of Information Act and Open Meetings Act .
The job of the Attorney General is to: Litigate to ensure state laws are followed and respected.
The office receives approximately 25,000 consumer complaints each year, most commonly concerning motor vehicles and home repair.
Keeping children safe and healthy is a priority of the Attorney General. The office works on many fronts to reduce sexual assault, advocate for after school and community safety programs, and educate children and parents on various safety issues, including Internet safety and teen dating violence.
The Criminal Prosecutions Bureau is divided into several divisions including Felony Trial, Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, Municipal, Traffic, Conviction Integrity, Community Justice as well as the nationally recognized Victim Witness Assistance Unit that provides specialized services to victims of crime and their families
The Investigations Bureau consists of more than 120 sworn officers who provide investigative and logistical support to Assistant State’s Attorneys in their preparation and presentation of cases. Investigators also complement and supplement local law enforcement efforts by providing them with investigative assistance, expertise and technical resources.
The Administrative Services Bureau, which consists of all office support personnel, handles all administrative tasks of the State's Attorney's Office. This includes providing administrative support in the form of data entry, administrative assistants, clerks, receptionists, mailroom/supply clerks, warehouse facility clerks, law librarians, ...
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. The effect of this grant of power to the Attorney General is that Illinois is served by a centralized legal advisory system. EPA v. PCB (1977), 69 Ill. 2d 394.
Circuit attorneys in the remaining three circuits of the state were appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. Unlike the Office of Attorney General, the office of circuit attorney was not specifically provided for in the 1818 Constitution, but was created in the 1819 Act.
204.) Section 8 of the Act established powers specific to the Attorney General, including the duty to "prosecute on behalf of the state, all suits which may be commenced by and on behalf of the said state, and all matters relating to the revenue thereof, and all impeachments * * *." In addition, section 8 required the Attorney General to give his opinion in writing on all questions of law "relating to the public concerns of this state" to the Governor, the Auditor of Public Accounts and the State Treasurer.
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.
In considering the powers of the Attorney General, the supreme court, in Fergus v. Russel, noted:
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.
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: