Illinois Attorney General

Illinois Attorney General
Name	Illinois Attorney General
Formation	1818

Contents

Illinois Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the State of Illinois and the head of the Illinois Attorney General's Office, charged with representing the State of Illinois in civil matters and enforcing Illinois law. The office interacts with federal authorities such as the United States Department of Justice, litigates before courts including the Supreme Court of the United States and the Illinois Supreme Court, and cooperates with neighboring states like Indiana and Wisconsin on multistate actions. Prominent legal matters handled by the office have involved agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, corporations such as Exelon Corporation and Philip Morris USA, and public figures including governors like Rod Blagojevich and Bruce Rauner.

Office overview

The office is established by the Constitution of Illinois and charged under statutes enacted by the Illinois General Assembly and interpreted by the Illinois Appellate Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, and the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The attorney general's duties encompass litigation roles in cases involving the Illinois Department of Public Health, consumer protection actions against firms such as Comcast and Johnson & Johnson, and enforcement matters related to statutes like the Illinois Human Rights Act and the Freedom of Information Act (United States). The office headquarters are located in Chicago near institutions such as the Cook County Courthouse and the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County.

Statutory and constitutional powers include representing state agencies including the Illinois State Police and the Illinois Department of Revenue in court, issuing legal opinions relied upon by officials such as the Governor of Illinois and the Illinois Secretary of State (Illinois), enforcing consumer protection laws like the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, and participating in multistate litigation coordinated with offices such as the California Attorney General and the New York Attorney General. The attorney general can initiate civil actions against corporations including BP and Toyota Motor Corporation, seek injunctive relief in matters implicating the Chicago Transit Authority, and file amicus briefs before the United States Supreme Court on issues involving statutes such as the Illinois FOIA and the Illinois Open Meetings Act. The office also enforces charitable trust and probate matters as they relate to entities like the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation in Illinois.

Since statehood in 1818 the position has been held by figures who moved between offices such as the United States Senate, the Illinois House of Representatives, and the United States House of Representatives. Early holders engaged with issues tied to events like the Illinois and Michigan Canal development and later attorneys general confronted matters involving industrial entities such as U.S. Steel and railroads like the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. Notable officeholders include those who later served as Governor of Illinois, federal judges appointed by presidents such as Franklin D. Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan, and political figures involved in national politics including Adlai Stevenson II and Barack Obama in broader Illinois history. Recent attorneys general have brought high-profile suits against companies including Facebook (now Meta Platforms), Google LLC, and McKesson Corporation and pursued actions connected to events like the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The attorney general is elected in statewide partisan elections conducted concurrently with contests for Governor of Illinois and the Illinois General Assembly under rules set by the Illinois State Board of Elections. Terms have been defined by amendments to the Constitution of Illinois and statutory law, with election cycles synchronizing with federal contests such as those for the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. Campaigns often feature endorsements from organizations like the Illinois AFL–CIO, political committees such as the Illinois Democratic Party and the Illinois Republican Party, and fundraising involving entities registered with the Federal Election Commission. Vacancies have been filled by gubernatorial appointment under precedents involving administrations like those of Governor Pat Quinn and Governor J. B. Pritzker.

The office is divided into divisions focused on areas including the Public Integrity Bureau, the Consumer Protection Division, the Environmental Bureau, the Litigation Division, and the Criminal Appeals Division, each interacting with agencies such as the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and the Illinois Commerce Commission. Staffed by assistant attorneys general who may have clerked for judges from the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit or the Illinois Supreme Court, the office includes units handling Medicaid fraud in coordination with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, antitrust enforcement related to cases against firms like AT&T and Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., and civil rights work engaging with organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union.

The office has led or joined multistate lawsuits against tobacco companies including Altria Group and Philip Morris International, pursued opioid-related litigation involving defendants such as Purdue Pharma and McKesson Corporation, and litigated environmental cases against corporations like Exelon Corporation and Commonwealth Edison Company. Initiatives have included consumer protection campaigns in partnership with the Federal Trade Commission, data-privacy investigations into firms such as Equifax and Facebook, and enforcement actions addressing voting-rights and redistricting issues connected to cases before the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois. The office has also implemented programs to assist victims through collaborations with entities like the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence and legal clinics at universities such as University of Chicago Law School and Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law.