The Illinois Attorney General is the highest legal officer of the
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
of
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. Originally an appointed office, it is now an office filled by statewide election. Based in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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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
An order of succession or right of succession is the line of individuals necessitated to hold a high office when it becomes vacated such as head of state or an honour such as a title of nobility.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
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...
.
Cook County
Cook County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Illinois and the second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, California. More than 40% of all residents of Illinois live within Cook County. As of 20 ...
was named in his honor.
The current holder of the office is Kwame Raoul.
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. The state's attorney general Act specifies several duties, including:
* Represent the people of Illinois before the Supreme Court where the state or the people of the state are interested parties
* Prosecute all proceedings and actions in favor of the state
* Defend state officers acting in their official capacities in any actions or proceedings against them
* Consult with and advise the state's attorneys
* Investigate violations of all statutes that the attorney general has a duty to enforce
* Advise the
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
and other state officers, and give written opinions on legal or constitutional matters when requested
* Give written opinions to the General Assembly or any of its committees when requested
* Prepare drafts of contracts in which the state is interested
* Attend, present evidence to, and prosecute indictments by the statewide grand jury
* Ensure the proper allocation of funds appropriated to public institutions, and prosecute breaches of trust
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.
List of attorneys general
;Parties
Living former attorneys general
, there are four former Attorneys General of Illinois still alive, the oldest being
Roland Burris
Roland Wallace Burris (born August 3, 1937) is an American politician and attorney who is a former United States Senator from the state of Illinois and a member of the Democratic Party.
In 1978, Burris was the first African American elected ...
(served 1991–1995, born 1937). The most recent Attorney General of Illinois to pass away was Jim Ryan (served 1995–2003) on June 12, 2022.
See also
*
List of law enforcement agencies in Illinois
This is a list of law enforcement agencies in the state of Illinois.
According to the US Bureau of Justice Statistics' 2008 ''Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies,'' the state had 877 law enforcement agencies employing 41,277 sworn ...