why is top attorney called attorney general

by Mrs. Alvera Bogisich 7 min read

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.

Why is it called a general attorney?

When we say “general” in “attorney general,” “surgeon general,” and “postmater general,” it is not meant as a rank as in the military sense, and it is not even a noun. It is an adjective meaning “chief or principal.” It is the same sense as in “general manger.” The confusion comes from the adjective following the noun.

What is the legal advisor to the government called?

Originally Answered: why is the attorney general known as the nation's "top cop" if the office doesn't have any real power over state police departments? Because while the US attorney general is the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government, it becomes, However, the 10th amendment restricts the powers of the federal government to those reserved to it in the …

How many attorneys general are there in the US?

Mar 04, 2017 · The US has one attorney general, but we have many state attorneys general. In the phrase attorney general, attorney is the main part, and the word general is descriptive—it tells us what kind of attorney we have to deal with. It’s the same rule we follow for similar phrases such as sister-in-law and editor in chief.

Is the US Attorney General singular or plural?

Oct 03, 2017 · 3 attorney answers. If we are talking about the U.S. Department of Justice only, the Attorney General (currently Jeff Sessions) is the top law enforcement official in the nation (besides the President himself), and heads the cabinet-level DOJ. The Deputy Attorney General (currently Rod Rosenstein) is the second-in-command, and assumes much of the day-to-day …

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What is the difference between Attorney General and attorney?

At the federal level, prosecutors are known as U.S. attorneys. ... Assistant U.S. attorneys handle the bulk of the trial work. The U.S. attorney general, who is the chief law enforcement officer in the United States and the head of the Department of Justice, has supervisory responsibility over U.S. attorneys.

Is the Attorney General actually an attorney?

Merrick GarlandUnited States / Attorney generalMerrick 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 United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 1997 to 2021. Wikipedia

Why is Attorney General not a general attorney?

“General” here, though, is an adjective, not a noun; you can think of them as “general attorneys.” So the plural goes on the noun, and the proper form is “attorneys general.” ... The adjectives follow the nouns, as opposed to being in front, as they usually are.Mar 21, 2016

What is the highest ranking attorney?

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.

Who is the highest law officer?

Advocate General of the State is the highest law officer in the state. The Constitution of India (Article 165) has provided for the office of the Advocate General for the states. Also, he corresponds to the Attorney General of India.

Who is the current Attorney General?

The current Attorney General is Mr. Godfred Yeboah Dame. He was appointed by President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo in 2021.

Does each state have an Attorney General?

The state attorney general in each of the 50 U.S. states, of the federal district, or of any of the territories is the chief legal advisor to the state government and the state's chief law enforcement officer.

What is the difference between chief justice 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.Feb 20, 2020

Is Attorney General a constitutional post?

The Attorney General is selected by the Government and acts as its advocate, and hence is not a neutral person. Nevertheless, it is a constitutional authority, and his or her opinions are subject to public scrutiny.

What is the job of attorney general?

Being the highest law officer of the country, it is the duty of the attorney general to advise the government on legal matters that are referred to him by the president. He is also duty-bound to undertake any responsibilities of duties of legal character that are assigned to him by the president.Jan 4, 2022

What is the hierarchy of a law firm?

Law firms are further divided into sub-hierarchies within the lawyer and staff classes. For example, within a law firm's professional services class, there will be attorneys of different ranks and statuses, with equity partners at the top, associates in the middle, and contract attorneys at the bottom.

What is the highest post in law?

Highest paying legal jobsIntellectual property paralegal. ... Litigation lawyer. ... General counsel. ... Contracts lawyer. ... Employment lawyer. ... Chief legal officer. National average salary: $148,051 per year. ... Patent attorney. National average salary: $162,214 per year. ... Corporate lawyer. National average salary: $250,028 per year.More items...•Feb 22, 2021

Is "general" a compound noun?

It's a compound noun where the second word is basically an adjective that describes the preceding noun, or "head.". In this case, "general" describes "attorney.". Ah, the joy of head-first compound nouns. A regular compound noun - "military funeral," for instance - has the head at the end.

Is "general" an adjective?

The adjective comes before noun ... brigadier general, major general, lieutenant general ... thus brigadier generals, major generals, lieutenant generals. General is the noun, not the adjective, in the military rank. Whereas in attorney general, it is the adjective. To add to AnWulf ... nor in the British army.

What Is the Plural of 'Deputy Attorney General'?

Update: After the podcast aired, we got an interesting follow-up question: What is the plural of deputy attorney general ?

About the Author

Mignon Fogarty is the founder of Quick and Dirty Tips and the author of seven books on language, including the New York Times bestseller " Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing ." She is an inductee in the Podcasting Hall of Fame, and the show is a five-time winner of Best Education Podcast in the Podcast Awards.

Brandon Alexander Robinson

If we are talking about the U.S. Department of Justice only, the Attorney General (currently Jeff Sessions) is the top law enforcement official in the nation (besides the President himself), and heads the cabinet-level DOJ.

Jay Scott Finnecy

AUSAs are Federal prosecutors in the United States Attorney's Office. Attorney Generals are likely with the California Dept. of Justice.

What is a prosecutor?

A State's Attorney is the most common term for a prosecutor, someone who represents the people in criminal and civil legal matters. But while the most iconic image of a State's Attorney is ...

How are state attorneys elected?

In general, State's Attorneys are elected by the people they represent. Their duties are spelled out in the laws of the local governments they represent, and they're held accountable by the voters for how well they do their jobs and how well their performance matches up with the local politics of the area. But a State's Attorney hardly ever does ...

What is the job of a criminal prosecutor?

Criminal prosecutions are the chief duty of most State's Attorney offices. In many states, such as Michigan, criminal prosecutions follow a predetermined series of steps [source: Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan ]. First, police file a warrant or charging request with the State's Attorney following an investigation.

How do police arrest a suspect?

First, police file a warrant or charging request with the State's Attorney following an investigation. Attorneys review the request and may decide to issue a warrant, which allows the police to arrest the suspect. An arraignment in court follows, at which the suspect is formally charged with a crime and enters a plea.

What is an arraignment in court?

An arraignment in court follows, at which the suspect is formally charged with a crime and enters a plea. Depending on the type and severity of a crime, there can be several pretrial hearings. At some point during these hearings, a plea bargain may be offered to induce the suspect to enter a guilty plea. Advertisement.

How many judicial districts does the US have?

One U.S. Attorney is assigned to each of 93 federal judicial districts around the country and is the top law enforcement official for the federal government in those districts. From there, the attorney will prosecute criminal cases, represent the federal government and collect debts owed to the federal government.

What happens before a trial?

Before a trial takes place, the process of discovery takes place, at which the State's Attorney and the defense attorney share information they intend to introduce as evidence at trial.

Keith G Langer

It is odd that the AG's office would be calling, unless it was in response to your contacting it first. If that were the case, it would presumably have the current information, which you provided.

David M Owens

It may be related to employment or business that you did with a company they are investigating that they either want information about, or there was a settlement and they are trying to find you as a result. The AG's office does not prosecute individuals.

What is the Dose of Reality website?

Attorney General Ashley Moody launched a new website seeking to educate Floridians about the dangers of misusing prescription painkillers and other opioids such as heroin and fentanyl.

Who released Hurricane Preparedness Guide 2021?

Attorney General Ashley Moody released the 2021 Hurricane Preparedness Guide. She urges Floridians to review the preparedness guide now and understand that planning will be different this year as Floridians continue to take measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

Who is the Attorney General of Florida?

Attorney General Ashley Moody has activated Florida’s Price Gouging Hotline for all consumers statewide. The opening of the hotline comes as Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in response to COVID-19.

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Overview

In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen ) 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, prosecutions or even responsibility for legal affairs generally. In practice, the extent to which the attorney general personally provides legal advice to the government varies betwee…

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

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. …

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

External links

• Quotations related to Attorney general at Wikiquote