United States Attorney General

Template:Short description Template:Pp-vandalism Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox official post

The United States attorney general is the head of the United States Department of Justice 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.

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<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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).<ref name=":1">Template:Cite journal</ref> "General" is a description of the type of attorney, not a title or rank in itself (as it would be in the military).<ref name=":1" /> Even though the attorney general (and the similarly titled solicitor general) is occasionally referred to as "General" or "General [last name]" by senior government officials, this is considered incorrect in standard American English usage.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref> For the same reason, the correct American English plural form is "attorneys general" rather than "attorney generals".<ref name=":2" />

History

Template:See also

File:Seal of the United States Department of Justice.svg

Seal of the Department of Justice

Congress passed the Judiciary Act of 1789 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 which the United States shall be concerned, and to give his advice and opinion upon questions of law when required by the president of the United States, or when requested by the heads of any of the departments".<ref>Judiciary Act of 1789, section 35.</ref> 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.

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.<ref>Cabinets and Counselors: The President and the Executive Branch (1997). Congressional Quarterly. p. 87.</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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 Congress 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Additional duties include supervising federal penitentiaries and administering the United States Federal Witness Protection Program.

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 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 Donald Trump.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Efn

List of attorneys general

Parties

Template:Legend2 (4) Template:Legend2 (5) Template:Legend2 (34) Template:Legend2 (4) Template:Legend2 (41)

Status

Template:Legend

No.	Portrait	Name	State of residence	Took office	Left office	President(s)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Edmund Randolph (3x4 cropped).jpg	Template:Sortname	Virginia	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	Template:Sortname (1789–1797)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:William Bradford, AG.jpg	Template:Sortname	Pennsylvania	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" rowspan=2 \|Template:Color	File:Charleslee.png	Template:Sortname	Virginia	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	File:Charleslee.png	Template:Sortname	Virginia	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Sortname (1797–1801)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Levi Lincoln, Sr.jpg	Template:Sortname	Massachusetts	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	Template:Sortname (1801–1809)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:John Breckinridge.jpg	Template:Sortname	Kentucky	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Rodneycaesara3.jpg	Template:Sortname	Delaware	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	File:Rodneycaesara3.jpg	Template:Sortname	Delaware	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Sortname (1809–1817)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Williampinkney (1).jpg	Template:Sortname	Maryland	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Richard Rush engraving.png	Template:Sortname	Pennsylvania	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:William Wirt by Henry Inman (frameless) (cropped) (cropped).jpg	Template:Sortname	Virginia	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	Template:Sortname (1817–1825)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|		Template:Sortname	Virginia	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Sortname (1825–1829)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:John Macpherson Berrien, portrait by John Maier.png	Template:Sortname	Georgia	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	Template:Sortname (1829–1837)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Roger Taney.jpg	Template:Sortname	Maryland	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Chester Harding - Benjamin Franklin Butler - 1963.172 - Dallas Museum of Art.jpg	Template:Sortname	New York	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|		Template:Sortname	New York	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Sortname (1837–1841)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Felix Grundy.jpg	Template:Sortname	Tennessee	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Henry D. Gilpin, Attorney General of the United States (trimmed).jpg	Template:Sortname	Pennsylvania	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|15	File:John Jordan Crittenden - Brady 1855.jpg	Template:Sortname Template:Small	Kentucky	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	Template:Sortname (1841)
rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	File:John Jordan Crittenden - Brady 1855.jpg	Template:Sortname Template:Small	Kentucky	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Sortname (1841–1845)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Hugh S. Legaré.jpg	Template:Sortname	South Carolina	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|17	File:John Nelson, bw photo portrait, Brady-Handy collection, circa 1855-1865.jpg	Template:Sortname	Maryland	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:JYMason.jpg	Template:Sortname	Virginia	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	Template:Sortname (1845–1849)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:NClifford.jpg	Template:Sortname	Maine	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Isaac Toucey - Brady-Handy (cropped).jpg	Template:Sortname	Connecticut	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|21	File:Reverdy Johnson.jpg	Template:Sortname	Maryland	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	Template:Sortname (1849–1850)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|22	File:John Jordan Crittenden - Brady 1855.jpg	Template:Sortname Template:Small	Kentucky	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	Template:Sortname (1850–1853)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Caleb Cushing.jpg	Template:Sortname	Massachusetts	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	Template:Sortname (1853–1857)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:JSBlack-AG.jpg	Template:Sortname	Pennsylvania	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	Template:Sortname (1857–1861)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Edwin McMasters Stanton Secretary of War.jpg	Template:Sortname	Pennsylvania	Template:Dts	Template:Dts		Template:Sortname (1857–1861)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Edward Bates - Brady-Handy.jpg	Template:Sortname	Missouri	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	Template:Sortname (1861–1865)
rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:James Speed.jpg	Template:Sortname	Kentucky	Template:Dts	Template:Dts		Template:Sortname (1861–1865)
rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	File:James Speed.jpg	Template:Sortname	Kentucky	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Sortname (1865–1869)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Stanberry-AttorGen.jpg	Template:Sortname	Ohio	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:William M. Evarts - Brady-Handy.jpg	Template:Sortname	New York	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:EbenezerRHoar.jpg	Template:Sortname	Massachusetts	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	rowspan=5 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	Template:Sortname (1869–1877)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Amos T Akerman - crop and minor retouch.jpg	Template:Sortname	Georgia	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:George Henry Williams - Brady-Handy - Restored & Cropped.jpg	Template:Sortname	Oregon	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Edwards Pierrepont, Brady-Handy bw photo portrait, ca1865-1880.jpg	Template:Sortname	New York	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Alphonso Taft - cropped and retouched.jpg	Template:Sortname	Ohio	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Hon. Charles Devens of Mass. Atty Gen. Hayes Cabinet.png	Template:Sortname	Massachusetts	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	Template:Sortname (1877–1881)
rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Wayne MacVeagh - Brady-Handy.jpg	Template:Sortname	Pennsylvania	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	Template:Sortname (1881)
rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	File:Wayne MacVeagh - Brady-Handy.jpg	Template:Sortname	Pennsylvania	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Sortname (1881–1885)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:BenjaminHBrewster.jpg	Template:Sortname	Pennsylvania	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Sortname (1881–1885)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Augustus Hill Garland - Brady-Handy.jpg	Template:Sortname	Arkansas	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	Template:Sortname (1885–1889)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:WHHMiller.jpg	Template:Sortname	Indiana	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	Template:Sortname (1889–1893)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Richard Olney, Bain bw photo portrait, 1913.jpg	Template:Sortname	Massachusetts	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	Template:Sortname (1893–1897)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Jud Harmon.jpg	Template:Sortname	Ohio	Template:Dts	Template:Dts		Template:Sortname (1893–1897)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:AssoJstcJMcK.jpg	Template:Sortname	California	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	Template:Sortname (1897–1901)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Griggs2.jpg	Template:Sortname	New Jersey	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Philander Knox, bw photo portrait, 1904.jpg	Template:Sortname	Pennsylvania	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	File:Philander Knox, bw photo portrait, 1904.jpg	Template:Sortname	Pennsylvania	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Sortname (1901–1909)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:WHMoody.jpg	Template:Sortname	Massachusetts	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:CJBonaparte.jpg	Template:Sortname	Maryland	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:GWWickersham.jpg	Template:Sortname	New York	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	Template:Sortname (1909–1913)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:James C. McReynolds - c1913.jpg	Template:Sortname	Tennessee	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	Template:Sortname (1913–1921)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:WP Thomas Watt Gregory.jpg	Template:Sortname	Texas	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Alexander Mitchell Palmer.jpg	Template:Sortname	Pennsylvania	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Harry Daugherty, bw photo portrait 1920.jpg	Template:Sortname	Ohio	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	Template:Sortname (1921–1923)
rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	File:Harry Daugherty, bw photo portrait 1920.jpg	Template:Sortname	Ohio	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Sortname (1923–1929)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Chief Justice Harlan Fiske Stone photograph circa 1927-1932.jpg	Template:Sortname	New York	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:John Sargent, Bain bw photo portrait.jpg	Template:Sortname	Vermont	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:William D. Mitchell cph.3b30394.jpg	Template:Sortname	Minnesota	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	Template:Sortname (1929–1933)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Homer Cummings, Harris & Ewing photo portrait, 1920.jpg	Template:Sortname	Connecticut	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	Template:Sortname (1933–1945)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Justice Frank Murphy.jpg	Template:Sortname	Michigan	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Roberthjackson.jpg	Template:Sortname	New York	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Francis Biddle cph.3b27524.jpg	Template:Sortname	Pennsylvania	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	rowspan=4 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	Template:Sortname (1945–1953)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Official portrait of Associate Justice Tom C. Clark, Supreme Court of the United States (cropped).jpg	Template:Sortname	Texas	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:J. Howard McGrath.jpg	Template:Sortname	Rhode Island	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:James P McGranery cropped.jpg	Template:Sortname	Pennsylvania	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Herbert Brownell.jpg	Template:Sortname	New York	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	Template:Sortname (1953–1961)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:William P. Rogers, U.S. Secretary of State.jpg	Template:Sortname	New York	Template:Dts	Template:Dts		Template:Sortname (1953–1961)
style="background: Template:Party color;" rowspan=2 \|Template:Color	File:Bobby Kennedy - restored.jpg	Template:Sortname	Massachusetts	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	Template:Sortname (1961–1963)
rowspan=5 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	File:Bobby Kennedy - restored.jpg	Template:Sortname	Massachusetts	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Sortname (1963–1969)
rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Nicholas Katzenbach at White House, 6 May 1968.jpg	Template:Sortname	Illinois	Template:Dts Template:Efn	Template:Dts
Template:Dts	File:Nicholas Katzenbach at White House, 6 May 1968.jpg	Template:Sortname	Illinois	Template:Dts
rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Ramsey Clark at the White House, 28 Feb 1968.jpg	Template:Sortname	Texas	Template:Dts Template:Efn	Template:Dts
Template:Dts	File:Ramsey Clark at the White House, 28 Feb 1968.jpg	Template:Sortname	Texas	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:John Mitchell.jpg	Template:Sortname	New York	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	rowspan=5 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	Template:Sortname (1969–1974)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Attorney General Richard Kleindienst.jpg	Template:Sortname	Arizona	Template:Dts	Template:Dts<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref>
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:ElliotLeeRichardson.jpg	Template:Sortname	Massachusetts	Template:Dts<ref name=":0"/>	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Robert Bork.jpg	Template:Sortname Template:Efn Template:Small	Pennsylvania	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:WilliamBartSaxbe2.jpg	Template:Sortname	Ohio	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	File:WilliamBartSaxbe2.jpg	Template:Sortname	Ohio	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Sortname (1974–1977)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Edward Levi Attorney General.jpg	Template:Sortname	Illinois	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Sortname (1974–1977)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Dick Thornburgh.jpg	Template:Sortname Template:Efn Template:Small	Pennsylvania	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	Template:Sortname (1977–1981)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Griffin Bell -uglaw AG72 (cropped).tif	Template:Sortname	Georgia	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Benjamin Civiletti (1979).jpg	Template:Sortname	Maryland	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Portrait officiel de William French Smith.jpg	Template:Sortname	California	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	Template:Sortname (1981–1989)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Edwin Meese III Attorney General portrait (cropped1).jpg	Template:Sortname	California	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Dick Thornburgh.jpg	Template:Sortname	Pennsylvania	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	File:Dick Thornburgh.jpg	Template:Sortname	Pennsylvania	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Template:Sortname (1989–1993)
rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:William Barr, official photo as Attorney General.jpg	Template:Sortname Template:Small	Virginia	Template:Dts Template:Efn	Template:Dts
Template:Dts	File:William Barr, official photo as Attorney General.jpg	Template:Sortname Template:Small	Virginia	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:No image.svg	Template:Sortname Template:Efn Template:Small	Washington, D.C.	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	Template:Sortname (1993–2001)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Janet Reno-us-Portrait.jpg	Template:Sortname	Florida	Template:Dts	Template:Dts		Template:Sortname (1993–2001)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:HolderEric.jpg	Template:Sortname Template:Efn Template:Small	Washington, D.C.	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	rowspan=6 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	Template:Sortname (2001–2009)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:John Ashcroft.jpg	Template:Sortname	Missouri	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Alberto Gonzales - official DoJ photograph.jpg	Template:Sortname	Texas	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Paul D. Clement.jpg	Template:Sortname Template:Efn Template:Small	Washington, D.C.	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Peterkeisler.jpg	Template:Sortname Template:Efn Template:Small	Washington, D.C.	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Michael Mukasey, official AG photo portrait, 2007.jpg	Template:Sortname	New York	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Mark Filip.jpg	Template:Sortname Template:Small	Illinois	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	Template:Sortname (2009–2017)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Eric Holder official portrait (cropped).jpg	Template:Sortname	Washington, D.C.	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Loretta Lynch, official portrait (cropped).jpg	Template:Sortname	New York	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Sally Q. Yates (cropped).jpg	Template:Sortname Template:Efn Template:Small	Georgia	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	rowspan=7 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	Template:Sortname (2017–2021)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Dana Boente (cropped).jpg	Template:Sortname Template:Small	Virginia	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Jeff Sessions, official portrait (cropped).jpg	Template:Sortname	Alabama	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Rod Rosenstein official portrait 2 (cropped).jpg	Template:Sortname Template:Small Template:Efn	Maryland	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Matthew G. Whitaker official photo (cropped).jpg	Template:Sortname Template:Small Template:Efn	Iowa	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:William Barr (cropped).jpg	Template:Sortname Template:Small	Virginia	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Jeff Rosen official DOJ portrait (cropped).jpg	Template:Sortname Template:Small	Massachusetts	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:John Demers official photo (cropped).png	Template:Sortname Template:Small Template:Efn	Massachusetts	Template:Dts		rowspan=3 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	Template:Sortname (2021–2025)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Monty Wilkinson DOJ official photo.jpg	Template:Sortname Template:Small	Washington, D.C.	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Attorney General Merrick Garland (cropped).jpg	Template:Sortname	Maryland	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:No image.svg	Template:Sortname<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Small	Washington, D.C.	Template:Dts	February 5, 2025	rowspan=2 style="background: Template:Party color;" \|	Template:Sortname (2025–present)
style="background: Template:Party color;" \|Template:Color	File:Pam Bondi in April 2025 (cropped).jpg	Template:Sortname	Florida	February 5, 2025	Incumbent		Template:Sortname (2025–present)

Line of succession

Template:USC 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Furthermore, an Executive Order defines subsequent positions, the most recent from March 31, 2017, signed by President Donald Trump.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The current line of succession is:

United States Deputy Attorney General
United States Associate Attorney General
Other officers potentially designated by the attorney general (in no particular order):
- Solicitor General 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, Justice Management Division
- Assistant Attorney General, Tax Division
- Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice Programs
- Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel
- Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Policy
- Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legislative Affairs
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina
United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas

Notable figures

First Italian American male: Charles Joseph Bonaparte in 1906<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
First Jewish American male: Edward H. Levi in 1975<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
First female: Janet Reno in 1993<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
First Hispanic American male: Alberto Gonzales in 2005<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
First African American male: Eric Holder in 2009<ref name=":7">Template:Cite book</ref>
First African American female: Loretta Lynch in 2015<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>