Attorney General of the United States

Attorney General of the United States
source
Post	Attorney General
Body	the United States
Insigniasize	150
Insigniacaption	Seal of the United States Department of Justice
Incumbent	Merrick Garland
Incumbentsince	March 11, 2021
Department	United States Department of Justice
Style	Mr. Attorney General (informal), The Honorable (formal)
Member of	Cabinet, National Security Council
Reports to	President of the United States
Seat	Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building, Washington, D.C.
Nominator	President of the United States
Appointer	United States Senate (with advice and consent)
Termlength	No fixed term
Constituting instrument	Judiciary Act of 1789
Formation	September 26, 1789
First	Edmund Randolph
Succession	Seventh
Deputy	United States Deputy Attorney General
Salary	Executive Schedule, level I
Website	[https://www.justice.gov/ag www.justice.gov/ag]

Attorney General of the United States is the head of the United States Department of Justice and the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government. The office was established by the Judiciary Act of 1789 and was originally a part-time position. The modern role, overseeing a vast department, was solidified with the creation of the Department of Justice in 1870 following the American Civil War. The Attorney General is a principal member of the President's Cabinet and advises the President of the United States on all legal matters.

History and establishment

The position was created by the First United States Congress through the Judiciary Act of 1789, signed by President George Washington. The first Attorney General, Edmund Randolph, was a former Governor of Virginia and a delegate to the Constitutional Convention. Initially, the role was part-time, with the Attorney General maintaining a private legal practice and operating without a dedicated department or staff. For much of the 19th century, the office's resources were limited, a situation highlighted during the tumultuous administration of President Andrew Jackson. The need for a more robust federal legal apparatus became acute after the American Civil War, leading to the passage of the United States Department of Justice Act in 1870, which created the Department of Justice and transformed the Attorney General into the head of a major executive department.

Appointment and qualifications

The Attorney General is nominated by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate through its advice and consent power. While the United States Constitution does not specify formal qualifications, nominees have historically been distinguished lawyers or judges. Many, like Robert H. Jackson and Janet Reno, had extensive careers in public service or as prosecutors. The confirmation process, overseen by the Senate Judiciary Committee, can be highly contentious, as seen with nominees like Edwin Meese and William Barr. The Attorney General serves at the pleasure of the President, with no fixed term, and can be removed by the President or through impeachment by the United States Congress.

Duties and responsibilities

As the chief law enforcement officer, the Attorney General represents the United States in legal matters and provides legal advice to the President and the heads of executive departments like the Department of Defense and the Department of the Treasury. The Attorney General oversees all federal prosecutions conducted by U.S. Attorneys and supervises federal agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Key responsibilities include enforcing federal statutes, directing appeals before the Supreme Court of the United States, and administering grant programs to state and local law enforcement agencies like the Los Angeles Police Department.

List of attorneys general

There have been over 80 individuals who have served as Attorney General since 1789. Notable figures include Roger B. Taney, who later became Chief Justice of the United States, and Robert F. Kennedy, who served under his brother, President John F. Kennedy. The tenure of Janet Reno under President Bill Clinton was the longest in the 20th century. More recent Attorneys General have included Eric Holder, the first African American to hold the office, and Loretta Lynch. The current Attorney General, Merrick Garland, was confirmed in 2021 after a distinguished career as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Relationship to the Department of Justice

The Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice, which is headquartered at the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building in Washington, D.C.. The department was established as an executive department in 1870, consolidating federal legal functions that were previously scattered. The Attorney General is supported by senior officials including the Deputy Attorney General and the Associate Attorney General, who oversee daily operations of divisions like the Civil Rights Division and the Criminal Division. The relationship defines the modern scope of the office, with the Attorney General setting enforcement priorities for agencies from the Federal Bureau of Investigation to the United States Marshals Service.

Category:United States attorneys general Category:1789 establishments in the United States Category:United States Department of Justice