The Oregon attorney general is a

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officer within the executive branch of the

state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

, and serves as the chief legal officer of the state, heading its

Department of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice, is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...

with its six operating divisions. The attorney general is chosen by statewide

partisan Partisan(s) or The Partisan(s) may refer to: Military * Partisan (military), paramilitary forces engaged behind the front line ** Francs-tireurs et partisans, communist-led French anti-fascist resistance against Nazi Germany during WWII ** Ital ...

election An election is a formal group decision-making process whereby a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold Public administration, public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative d ...

to serve a term of four years. The incumbent,

Dan Rayfield Daniel Adam Rayfield (born March 1, 1979) is an American politician and attorney who is the 18th Attorney General of the State of Oregon since 2024 after his predecessor Ellen Rosenblum resigned a week before her term expired. He was the former ...

, was sworn in on December 31, 2024, replacing

Ellen Rosenblum Ellen F. Rosenblum (born January 6, 1951) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 17th Oregon Attorney General from June 2012 to December 2024. She is the first female state attorney general in Oregon's history, and previously wa ...

, a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

who was re-elected in 2020 and resigned one week before the end of her term.

Duties

The attorney general represents the state of Oregon in all court actions and other legal proceedings in which it is a party or has an interest. They also conduct all legal business of state departments, boards and commissions that require legal counsel. Ballot titles for measures in Oregon elections are written by the attorney general, who also and appoints the assistant attorneys general who serve as counsel to the various state departments, boards and commissions. The attorney general provides written opinions upon any question of law in which any government entity within the state may have an interest when requested by the governor, any state agency official or any member of the legislature, but is prohibited by law from rendering opinions or giving legal advice to any other persons or agencies.

History

Original 1891 mandate

''An Act to Create the Office of Attorney-General, Provide the Duties and fix the Compensation,'' was enacted by the state legislature in 1891. Oregon's is only one of five state offices of Attorney General created by statute rather than by a provision of the constitution. The act established elections for the office, to be held every four years, any vacancy in the office to be filled by the governor until the next general election. The act provided that the attorney general be charged with litigating on behalf of the state, any "breach of contract, any bond or contract in which the state was interested," at the request of the governor, secretary of state, treasurer, superintendent of public instruction, or any state board. The attorney general was also to prosecute or defend all matters of interest to the state in the Supreme Court. Upon request, they could provide counsel and advice to county district attorneys. A requirement was also included for the keeping of records of opinions and official proceedings for future successors. Criminal investigation and prosecution was not included in the original mandate for the office, but remained with the various county district attorneys. The office was also charged with the preparation of contracts, bonds, and other documents when requested.

1947 reorganization

The role of the attorney general was greatly expanded, when the legislature created the Department of Justice and placed the attorney general at its head with the passage of ''An Act Creating the department of justice, prescribing its jurisdiction, and defining the powers and duties of the attorney general.'' In addition to the attorney general's existing role as attorney in all state-related supreme court cases, the act added that, when required by the governor or legislature, he would appear for the state in any court or tribunal. Through the newly created Justice Department, the attorney general would now have control and supervision of all civil actions and legal proceedings in which the state was a party or interested. The office was also given full control of all the legal business of all state offices, legal services performed by outside counsel being specifically prohibited. The attorney general's relationship to district attorneys was also expanded to include authority to require their assistance in cases brought before the Supreme Court from their respective counties. The act provided authority to take charge of any investigation or prosecution in which the circuit court had jurisdiction, when directed by the governor. This provision provided the attorney general all the powers of a district attorney, including the calling of the county grand jury to convene. The act also created the office of deputy attorney general, appointed by the attorney general with full authority to act on their behalf, and provided statutory, discretionary authority for the appointment of assistant attorneys general.

Later developments

The attorney general was provided with subpoena power in criminal investigations in 1993, and in 2002, the office was given additional powers relative to investigation and prosecution in

organized crime Organized crime is a category of transnational organized crime, transnational, national, or local group of centralized enterprises run to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally thought of as a f ...

cases.

List of attorneys general of Oregon

The following table provides a list of the individuals who have served as Oregon Attorney General, with party affiliation and dates of service.

References

External links

Oregon Attorney General
official website
Oregon Revised Statutes
at Law.Justia.com
U.S. Supreme Court Opinions - "Cases with title containing: State of Oregon"
at

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Oregon State Bar

Press releases
at Oregon Attorney General {{Oregon statewide elected officials * 1891 establishments in Oregon

Attorneys general In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...