Attorney General of Maryland

Attorney General of Maryland
Michael Wheeler · Public domain · source
Post	Attorney General of Maryland
Insigniacaption	Great Seal of Maryland
Incumbent	Anthony G. Brown
Incumbentsince	January 3, 2023
Style	The Honorable
Termlength	Four years, renewable
Formation	1776
Inaugural	Charles Anthony
Website	Maryland Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General of Maryland The Attorney General of Maryland is the chief legal officer for the State of Maryland, charged with representing Maryland in civil litigation and providing legal advice to the Governor of Maryland, the Maryland General Assembly, and state agencies. The office interacts frequently with the Maryland Judiciary, United States Supreme Court, United States Department of Justice, and multistate coalitions on matters ranging from consumer protection to environmental litigation. Officeholders have included prominent figures who later held positions in the United States Senate, Maryland Governor's Office, and federal judiciary.

History

The office originated during the Revolutionary era with early legal officers in the Province of Maryland and was formalized after Maryland adopted its first state constitution in 1776. Over time the role evolved alongside institutions such as the Maryland General Assembly, the Maryland Court of Appeals, the Maryland Court of Special Appeals, and federal developments like the Judiciary Act of 1789. Nineteenth-century attorneys general navigated disputes involving the Chesapeake Bay, Interstate Commerce, and antebellum statutes; twentieth-century occupants engaged with New Deal agencies, World War II mobilization, and Civil Rights-era litigation involving the United States Department of Justice. Late-twentieth and twenty-first century incumbents joined multistate actions with counterparts from California, New York, Texas, Florida, Illinois, and Massachusetts on matters implicating the Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Trade Commission, and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Duties and Powers

Statutory authority delegates civil representation of Maryland entities to the office and empowers the Attorney General to issue opinions for the Governor and Maryland General Assembly. The office prosecutes consumer protection cases under the Maryland Consumer Protection Act, enforces antitrust laws in coordination with the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general in multistate investigations, and litigates environmental claims under the Clean Water Act and Maryland Coastal Zone statutes in coordination with the Environmental Protection Agency and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The Attorney General may participate in appeals before the Maryland Court of Appeals and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and file certiorari petitions to the United States Supreme Court. Additional powers include supervision of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board, oversight of Medicaid fraud enforcement with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and civil enforcement actions involving the Securities and Exchange Commission, Internal Revenue Service, and Department of Education programs.

Officeholders

Notable officeholders have included figures who advanced to national prominence or state executive roles. Former attorneys general have become United States Senators, Governors of Maryland, federal judges on the United States District Court for the District of Maryland and the United States Court of Appeals, and cabinet-level officials in administrations such as those of Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, Lyndon B. Johnson, Ronald Reagan, and Barack Obama. Individuals from diverse legal backgrounds—United States Attorneys, Maryland State Senators, Baltimore City Solicitors, and partners from firms practicing before the Supreme Court of the United States—have served in the role. Officeholders frequently maintain memberships in professional bodies like the American Bar Association, National Association of Attorneys General, and Maryland State Bar Association, and collaborate with universities such as the University of Maryland School of Law, Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, and Georgetown University Law Center.

Selection and Term

The Attorney General is elected statewide in partisan elections coinciding with the Maryland gubernatorial cycle, subject to qualifications set by the Maryland Constitution and statutes. The term is four years, with no term limits, permitting incumbents to seek multiple successive terms; vacancies are addressed through gubernatorial appointment or special election procedures in accordance with Maryland law. Campaigns for the office mobilize support from political organizations such as the Maryland Democratic Party, Maryland Republican Party, and labor unions, and attract endorsements from media outlets, bar associations, and elected officials including members of the United States Congress from Maryland, county executives, and state legislators.

Organization and Staff

The Office of the Attorney General comprises divisions structured to handle civil litigation, consumer protection, health care fraud, environmental enforcement, antitrust, and public advocacy. Senior staff include Deputy Attorneys General, Solicitors General, chiefs of litigation units, and special assistants who coordinate with agencies like the Maryland Department of the Environment, Maryland Department of Health, Maryland Insurance Administration, and Office of the Public Defender. The office employs litigators, appellate advocates, investigators, paralegals, and policy advisors who work closely with municipal counsel from Baltimore City, county attorneys in Montgomery County and Prince George's County, and external law firms in complex matters.

Notable Actions and Litigation

The office has led or joined high-profile litigation against major corporations and federal policies, including antitrust suits involving technology companies, consumer actions against banks and mortgage servicers following the Great Recession, and environmental suits addressing pollution in the Chesapeake Bay and air quality violations implicating the Environmental Protection Agency. It has engaged in multistate coalitions challenging actions by administrations represented by the United States Department of Justice and defending state statutes before the United States Supreme Court in cases concerning civil rights, education funding disputes, and campaign finance matters. The Attorney General's consumer protection prosecutions have resulted in settlements with banking institutions, pharmaceutical manufacturers, automotive companies, and insurance providers, often coordinated with the Federal Trade Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission, and state attorneys general from California, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Virginia.

Category:Government of Maryland Category:Maryland law