The United States attorney general (AG) is the head of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and serves as the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government. The attorney general acts as the principal legal advisor to the president of the United States on all legal matters. The attorney general is also a statutory member of the Cabinet of the United States and a member of the United States National Security Council. Additionally, the attorney general is seventh in the presidential line of succession. The attorney general is the only cabinet department head who is not given the title Secretary.

Under the Appointments Clause of the United States Constitution, the officeholder is nominated by the president of the United States, and, following a confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, will take office if confirmed by the majority of the full United States Senate. 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 (general). "General" is a description of the type of attorney, not a title or rank in itself (as it would be in the military). For the same reason, the correct American English plural form is "attorneys general" rather than "attorney generals". Some of these duties have since been transferred to the United States solicitor general and the White House counsel.

The Department of Justice was established in 1870 to support the attorneys general in the discharge of their responsibilities. In 1841 the first volume of The Official Opinions of the Attorneys General of the United States was printed on the authorization of Congress and contained the legal justifications of the President's official actions.

The secretary of state, the secretary of the treasury, 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 United States Department of Justice, 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 Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. attorneys, and the United States Marshals Service.

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 Supreme Court 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.

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 at noon 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, pursuant to , pending the confirmation by the Senate of the new attorney general.

For example, upon the inauguration of President Donald Trump at noon 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, pursuant to , until the confirmation of the new attorney general Jeff Sessions, who had been nominated for the office in November 2016 by then-president-elect Donald Trump.

List of attorneys general

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{|class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible" style="clear:right; text-align:center"

!No.

!class=unsortable |Portrait

!Name

!State of residence

!Took office

!Left office

!colspan=2 |President(s)

|-

!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Virginia

|

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!rowspan=3 style="background: ;" |

|rowspan=3 |<br>(1789–1797)

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!style="background: ;" |

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|Pennsylvania

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|

|-

! style="background: ;" rowspan=2 |

|rowspan=2 |75px

|rowspan=2 |

|rowspan=2 |Virginia

|rowspan=2 |

|rowspan=2 |

|-

!style="background: ;" |

|<br>(1797–1801)

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!style="background: ;" |

|75px

|

|Massachusetts

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|

|rowspan=3 style="background: ;" |

|rowspan=3 |<br>(1801–1809)

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!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Kentucky

|

|

|-

!rowspan=2 style="background: ;" |

|rowspan=2 |75px

|rowspan=2 |

|rowspan=2 |Delaware

|rowspan=2 |

|rowspan=2 |

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|rowspan=3 style="background: ;" |

|rowspan=3 |<br>(1809–1817)

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!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Maryland

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|-

!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Pennsylvania

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|-

!rowspan=2 style="background: ;" |

|rowspan=2 |96x96px

|rowspan=2 |

|rowspan=2 |Virginia

|rowspan=2 |

|rowspan=2 |

|style="background: ;" |

|<br>(1817–1825)

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|style="background: ;" |

|<br>(1825–1829)

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!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Georgia

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|

|rowspan=3 style="background: ;" |

|rowspan=3 |<br>(1829–1837)

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!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Maryland

|

|

|-

!rowspan=2 style="background: ;" |

|rowspan=2 |75px

|rowspan=2 |

|rowspan=2 |New York

|rowspan=2 |

|rowspan=2 |

|-

|rowspan=3 style="background: ;" |

|rowspan=3 |<br>(1837–1841)

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!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Tennessee

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!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Pennsylvania

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|-

!rowspan=2 style="background: ;" |15

|rowspan=2 |75px

|rowspan=2 |<br>

|rowspan=2 |Kentucky

|rowspan=2 |

|rowspan=2 |

|style="background: ;" |

|<br>(1841)

|-

|rowspan=3 style="background: ;" |

|rowspan=3 |<br>(1841–1845)

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!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|South Carolina

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!style="background: ;" |17

|75px

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|Maryland

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!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Virginia

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|rowspan=3 style="background: ;" |

|rowspan=3 |<br>(1845–1849)

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!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Maine

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!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Connecticut

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|

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!style="background: ;" |21

|75px

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|Maryland

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|

|style="background: ;" |

|<br>(1849–1850)

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!style="background: ;" |22

|75px

|<br>

|Kentucky

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|

|style="background: ;" |

|<br>(1850–1853)

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!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Massachusetts

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|

|style="background: ;" |

|<br>(1853–1857)

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!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Pennsylvania

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|rowspan=2 style="background: ;" |

|rowspan=2 |<br>(1857–1861)

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!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Pennsylvania

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!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Missouri

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|rowspan=2 style="background: ;" |

|rowspan=2 |<br>(1861–1865)

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!rowspan=2 style="background: ;" |

|rowspan=2 |75px

|rowspan=2 |

|rowspan=2 |Kentucky

|rowspan=2 |

|rowspan=2 |

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|rowspan=3 style="background: ;" |

|rowspan=3 |<br>(1865–1869)

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!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Ohio

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!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|New York

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!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Massachusetts

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|rowspan=5 style="background: ;" |

|rowspan=5 |<br>(1869–1877)

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!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Georgia

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|-

!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Oregon

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|-

!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|New York

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|-

!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Ohio

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|-

!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Massachusetts

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|

|style="background: ;" |

|<br>(1877–1881)

|-

!rowspan=2 style="background: ;" |

|rowspan=2 |75px

|rowspan=2 |

|rowspan=2 |Pennsylvania

|rowspan=2 |

|rowspan=2 |

|style="background: ;" |

|<br>(1881)

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|rowspan=2 style="background: ;" |

|rowspan=2 |<br>(1881–1885)

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!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Pennsylvania

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!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Arkansas

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|style="background: ;" |

|<br>(1885–1889)

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!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Indiana

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|

|style="background: ;" |

|<br>(1889–1893)

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!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Massachusetts

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|rowspan=2 style="background: ;" |

|rowspan=2 |<br>(1893–1897)

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!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Ohio

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|-

!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|California

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|rowspan=3 style="background: ;" |

|rowspan=3 |<br>(1897–1901)

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!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|New Jersey

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|-

!rowspan=2 style="background: ;" |

|rowspan=2 |75px

|rowspan=2 |

|rowspan=2 |Pennsylvania

|rowspan=2 |

|rowspan=2 |

|-

|rowspan=3 style="background: ;" |

|rowspan=3 |<br>(1901–1909)

|-

!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Massachusetts

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|-

!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Maryland

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|-

!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|New York

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|style="background: ;" |

|<br>(1909–1913)

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!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Tennessee

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|

|rowspan=3 style="background: ;" |

|rowspan=3 |<br>(1913–1921)

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!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Texas

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|-

!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Pennsylvania

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|-

!rowspan=2 style="background: ;" |

|rowspan=2 |75px

|rowspan=2 |

|rowspan=2 |Ohio

|rowspan=2 |

|rowspan=2 |

|style="background: ;" |

|<br>(1921–1923)

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|rowspan=3 style="background: ;" |

|rowspan=3 |<br>(1923–1929)

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!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|New York

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|-

!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Vermont

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|-

!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Minnesota

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|

|style="background: ;" |

|<br>(1929–1933)

|-

!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Connecticut

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|

|rowspan=3 style="background: ;" |

|rowspan=3 |<br>(1933–1945)

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!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Michigan

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|-

!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|New York

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|-

!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Pennsylvania

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|rowspan=4 style="background: ;" |

|rowspan=4 |<br>(1945–1953)

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!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Texas

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|-

!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Rhode Island

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!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Pennsylvania

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|-

!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|New York

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|rowspan=2 style="background: ;" |

|rowspan=2 |<br>(1953–1961)

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!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|New York

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|-

! style="background: ;" rowspan=2 |

|rowspan=2 |75px

|rowspan=2 |

|rowspan=2 |Massachusetts

|rowspan=2 |

|rowspan=2 |

!style="background: ;" |

|<br>(1961–1963)

|-

!rowspan=5 style="background: ;" |

|rowspan=5 |<br>(1963–1969)

|-

!rowspan=2 style="background: ;" |

|rowspan=2 |75px

|rowspan=2 |

|rowspan=2 |New Jersey

|bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |

|bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |

|-

|

|

|-

!rowspan=2 style="background: ;" |

|rowspan=2 |75px

|rowspan=2 |

|rowspan=2 |Texas

|bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |

|bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |

|-

|

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|-

!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|New York

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|

|rowspan=6 style="background: ;" |

|rowspan=6 |<br>(1969–1974)

|-

!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Arizona

|

|

|-

!style="background: ;" |

|75px

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|Massachusetts

| Gerson was fourth in the line of succession at the Justice Department, but other senior DOJ officials had already resigned. Janet Reno, President Clinton's nominee for attorney general, was confirmed on March 11, and he resigned when Reno was sworn in the next day. On September 17, President Bush announced that Assistant Attorney General for the DOJ Civil Division Peter Keisler would become acting attorney general, pending a permanent appointment of a presidential nominee. According to administration officials, Clement became acting attorney general at 12:01am September 17, 2007, and left office 24 hours later. Keisler served as acting attorney general until the confirmation of Michael Mukasey on November 9, 2007.<br>

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |Virginia

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |

|-

!style="background: ;" |

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |75px

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |<br>

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |Maryland

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |

|-

!style="background: ;" |

|75px

|

|New York

|

|

|-

!style="background: ;" |

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |75px

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |<br>

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |Illinois

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |

|rowspan=3 style="background: ;" |

|rowspan=3 |<br>(2009–2017)

|-

!style="background: ;" |

|75px

|

|Washington, D.C.

|

|

|-

!style="background: ;" |

|75px

|

|New York

|

|

|-

!style="background: ;" |

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |75px

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |<br>

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |Georgia

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |

|rowspan=8 style="background: ;" |

|rowspan=8 |<br>(2017–2021)

|-

!style="background: ;" |

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |75px

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |<br>

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |Washington, D.C.

|align=center colspan=2 bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |

|-

!style="background: ;" |

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |75px

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |<br>

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |Virginia

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |

|-

!style="background: ;" |

|75px

|

|Alabama

|

|

|-

!style="background: ;" |

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |75px

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |<br>

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |Maryland

|align=center colspan=2 bgcolor="#E6E6AA"|

|-

!style="background: ;" |

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |75px

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |<br>

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |Iowa

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |

|-

!style="background: ;" |

|75px

|<br>

|Virginia

|

|

|-

!style="background: ;" |

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |75px

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |<br>

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |Virginia

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |

|-

!style="background: ;" |

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |75px

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |<br>

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |Virginia

|align=center colspan=2 bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |

|rowspan=3 style="background: ;" |

|rowspan=3 |<br>(2021–2025)

|-

! style="background: ;" |

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |75px

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |<br>

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |Washington, D.C.

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |

|-

!style="background: ;" |

|75px

|

|Maryland

|

|

|-

!style="background: ;" |

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |75px

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |<br>

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |Washington, D.C.

|align=center colspan=2 bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |

|rowspan=5 style="background: ;" |

|rowspan=5 |<br>(2025–present)

|-

!style="background: ;" |

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |75px

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |<br>

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |Arizona

|align=center colspan=2 bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |

|-

!style="background: ;" |

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |<br>

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |Washington, D.C.

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |

|-

!style="background: ;" |

|75px

|

|Florida

|

|

|-

!style="background: ;" |

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |75px

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |<br>

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |Florida

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |

|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |Incumbent

|}

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 pertaining to the line of succession, Executive Order 14136 titled "Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Justice" that was signed by President Joe Biden on January 3, 2025, and published in the Federal Register on January 13, 2025, but was revoked by President Donald Trump 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:

  1. United States Deputy Attorney General
  2. United States Associate Attorney General
  3. Other officers potentially designated by the attorney general (in no particular order):
  4. Solicitor General of the United States
  5. Assistant Attorney General, Antitrust Division
  6. Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division
  7. Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division
  8. Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division
  9. Assistant Attorney General, National Security Division
  10. Assistant Attorney General, Environment and Natural Resources Division
  11. Assistant Attorney General, Tax Division
  12. Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice Programs
  13. Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel
  14. Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Policy
  15. Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legislative Affairs
  16. United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York
  17. United States Attorney for the District of Arizona
  18. United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois
  19. 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 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

See also

  • Attorney General's Awards for Distinguished Service in Policing

Notes

References

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