The United States attorney general is the head of the

United States Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a United States federal executive departments, federal executive department of the U.S. government that oversees the domestic enforcement of Law of the Unite ...

and serves as the chief law enforcement officer of the

federal government A federation (also called a federal state) is an entity characterized by a political union, union of partially federated state, self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a #Federal governments, federal government (federalism) ...

. The attorney general acts as the principal legal advisor to the

president of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

on all legal matters. The attorney general is also a statutory member of the

Cabinet of the United States The Cabinet of the United States is the principal official advisory body to the president of the United States. The Cabinet generally meets with the president in Cabinet Room (White House), a room adjacent to the Oval Office in the West Wing of ...

and a member of the

United States National Security Council The United States National Security Council (NSC) is the national security council used by the president of the United States for consideration of national security, military, and Foreign relations of the United States, foreign policy matter ...

. Additionally, the attorney general is seventh in the presidential line of succession. Under the

Appointments Clause The Appointments Clause of the United States Constitution empowers the president of the United States to nominate and, with the advice and consent (confirmation) of the United States Senate, appoint public officials. Although the Senate must con ...

of the

United States Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the Supremacy Clause, supreme law of the United States, United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. Originally includi ...

, the officeholder is nominated by the president of the United States, and, following a confirmation hearing before the

Senate Judiciary Committee The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally known as the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a Standing committee (United States Congress), standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the United States Departm ...

, will take office if confirmed by the majority of the full

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

. The attorney general is supported by the Office of the Attorney General, which includes executive staff and several deputy attorneys general. The attorney general is a Level I position in the Executive Schedule and thus earns the salary prescribed for that level: $250,600, as of January 2025.

Name

The title Attorney General is an example of a noun (''attorney'') followed by a

postpositive adjective A postpositive adjective or postnominal adjective is an adjective that is placed after the noun or pronoun that it modifies, as in noun phrases such as ''attorney general'', ''queen regnant'', or ''all matters financial''. This contrasts with prepo ...

(''general''). "General" is a description of the type of attorney, not a title or rank in itself ( as it would be in the military). Even though the attorney general (and the similarly titled

solicitor general A solicitor general is a government official who serves as the chief representative of the government in courtroom proceedings. In systems based on the English common law that have an attorney general or equivalent position, the solicitor general ...

) is occasionally referred to as "General" or "General ast name by senior government officials, this is considered incorrect in standard

American English American English, sometimes called United States English or U.S. English, is the set of variety (linguistics), varieties of the English language native to the United States. English is the Languages of the United States, most widely spoken lang ...

usage. For the same reason, the correct American English plural form is "attorneys general" rather than "attorney generals".

History

Seal of the United States Department of Justice

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

passed the

Judiciary Act of 1789 The Judiciary Act of 1789 (ch. 20, ) was a United States federal statute enacted on September 24, 1789, during the first session of the First United States Congress. It established the federal judiciary of the United States. Article Three of th ...

which, among other things, established the Office of the Attorney General. The original duties of this officer were "to prosecute and conduct all suits in the

Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

in which the United States shall be concerned, and to give his advice and opinion upon

questions of law In law, a question of law, also known as a point of law, is a question that must be answered by a judge and can not be answered by a jury. Such a question is distinct from a question of fact, which must be answered by reference to facts and eviden ...

when required by the president of the United States, or when requested by the heads of any of the departments". Some of these duties have since been transferred to the

United States solicitor general The solicitor general of the United States (USSG or SG), is the fourth-highest-ranking official within the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), and represents the federal government in cases before the Supreme Court of the United States. ...

and the

White House counsel 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. The White House counsel also oversees the Off ...

. The Department of Justice was established in 1870 to support the attorneys general in the discharge of their responsibilities. The secretary of state, the

secretary of the treasury The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...

, the secretary of defense, and the attorney general are regarded as the four most important Cabinet officials in the United States because of the size and importance of their respective departments.

Duties and responsibilities

The attorney general's duties and responsibilities as the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government include overseeing the

, enforcing federal laws, and providing both formal and informal legal advice and opinions to the president of the United States, the cabinet, and the heads of executive departments and agencies. The attorney general represents the federal government in legal matters and supervises the administration and operation of the Department of Justice, which includes the

Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...

, the

Drug Enforcement Administration The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is a Federal law enforcement in the United States, United States federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Justice tasked with combating illicit Illegal drug trade, drug trafficking a ...

, the

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE), commonly referred to as ATF, is a domestic law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice. Its responsibilities include the investigation and prevention ...

, the

Office of Justice Programs The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that focuses on crime prevention through research and development, assistance to state, local, and tribal criminal justice agencies, including law enforc ...

, U.S. Attorneys, and the

United States Marshals Service The United States Marshals Service (USMS) is a Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement agency in the United States. The Marshals Service serves as the enforcement and security arm of the United States federal judi ...

. Additionally, the attorney general advises the president of the United States on appointments to federal judicial positions and Department of Justice roles, including U.S. Attorneys and U.S. Marshals. While the attorney general may represent the United States in the

and other courts, this is typically handled by the solicitor general. The attorney general also performs or supervises other duties as required by statute or executive order. The attorney general manages legal issues involving public safety, civil rights, and national security. The attorney general also communicates legal concerns to

and ensures compliance with federal laws across states. The attorney general's role occasionally evolves through congressional legislation. For example, in 2001, the PATRIOT Act expanded the department's surveillance and investigative authority in matters of terrorism and national security, significantly impacting the scope of the attorney general’s responsibilities. Additional duties include supervising federal penitentiaries and administering the

United States Federal Witness Protection Program The United States Federal Witness Protection Program (WPP), also known as the Witness Security Program or WITSEC, is a witness protection program codified through 18 U.S. Code § 3521 and administered by the United States Department of Justic ...

Presidential transition

It is the practice for the attorney general, along with the other Cabinet secretaries and high-level political appointees of the president, to tender a resignation with effect on the Inauguration Day (January 20) of a new president. The deputy attorney general is also expected to tender a resignation, but is commonly requested to stay on and act as the attorney general pending the confirmation by the Senate of the new attorney general. For example, upon the inauguration of President

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

on January 20, 2017, then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch left her position, so then-Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, who had also tendered her resignation, was asked to stay on to serve as the acting attorney general until the confirmation of the new attorney general Jeff Sessions, who had been nominated for the office in November 2016 by then-

President-elect An ''officer-elect'' is a person who has been elected to a position but has not yet been installed. Notably, a president who has been elected but not yet installed would be referred to as a ''president-elect'' (e.g. president-elect of the Un ...

Donald Trump.

List of attorneys general

Parties

(4) (5) (34) (4) (41)

Status

Line of succession

establishes the first two positions in the line of succession, while allowing the attorney general to designate other high-ranking officers of the Department of Justice as subsequent successors. Furthermore, the most recent

Executive Order In the United States, an executive order is a directive by the president of the United States that manages operations of the federal government. The legal or constitutional basis for executive orders has multiple sources. Article Two of the ...

pertaining to the line of succession,

14136 titled “Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Justice” that was signed by President

Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...

on January 3, 2025 and published in the

Federal Register The ''Federal Register'' (FR or sometimes Fed. Reg.) is the government gazette, official journal of the federal government of the United States that contains government agency rules, proposed rules, and public notices. It is published every wee ...

on January 13, 2025 but was revoked by President

on January 20, 2025 and has yet to be replaced with another executive order pertaining to the line of succession, defines subsequent positions. The most recent line of succession was: #

United States Deputy Attorney General The United States deputy attorney general is the second-highest-ranking official in the United States Department of Justice and oversees the day-to-day operation of the department. The deputy attorney general acts as attorney general during the ...

United States Associate Attorney General The United States associate attorney general is the third-highest-ranking official in the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). The associate attorney general advises and assists the attorney general and the deputy attorney general in poli ...

# Other officers potentially designated by the attorney general (in no particular order): #*

Solicitor General of the United States The solicitor general of the United States (USSG or SG), is the fourth-highest-ranking official within the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), and represents the federal government in cases before the Supreme Court of the United States. ...

#* Assistant Attorney General, Antitrust Division #* Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division #* Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division #* Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division #* Assistant Attorney General, National Security Division #* Assistant Attorney General, Environment and Natural Resources Division #* Assistant Attorney General, Tax Division #* Assistant Attorney General,

#* Assistant Attorney General,

Office of Legal Counsel The Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) is an office in the United States Department of Justice that supports the attorney general in their role as legal adviser to the president and all executive branch agencies. It drafts legal opinions of the atto ...

#* Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Policy #* Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legislative Affairs #

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York The United States attorney for the Southern District of New York is the United States Attorney, chief federal law enforcement officer in eight contiguous New York counties: the counties (coextensive boroughs of New York City) of New York County, ...

United States Attorney United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal ...

for the District of Arizona #

for the

Northern District of Illinois The United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (in case citations, N.D. Ill.) is the federal trial court with jurisdiction over the northern counties of Illinois. It is one of the busiest federal trial courts in the Uni ...

# United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii

Notable figures

* First Italian American male: Charles Joseph Bonaparte in 1906 * First Jewish American male: Edward H. Levi in 1975 * First female:

Janet Reno Janet Wood Reno (July 21, 1938 – November 7, 2016) was an American lawyer and public official who served as the 78th United States Attorney General, United States attorney general from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. A member of ...

in 1993 * First Hispanic American male: Alberto Gonzales in 2005 * First African American male: Eric Holder in 2009 * First African American female: Loretta Lynch in 2015

Notes

References

External links

* , - {{Navboxes , list = {{USAttGen {{DOJ agencies {{US Cabinet leaders {{US presidential line of succession {{Americas topic, title =Attorneys General of the Americas, prefix=Attorney General of 1789 establishments in the United States

Attorney 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 ...

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 ...