boente civiletti mukasey keisler thornburgh toucey kleindienst rosenstein mcgranery lichtblau macveagh gerson pierrepont www.justice.gov lawfare meese devens apuzzo filip zinke akerman landler testificandum mattis katzenbach crittenden wickersham berrien wirt doj
what are the duties of the attorney general of the united states
United States Attorney General - wikipedia United States Attorney General Jump to : navigation , search <Th_colspan="2"> Attorney General of the United States of America <Td_colspan="2"> Seal of the Department of Justice <Td_colspan="2"> Flag of the Attorney General <Td_colspan="2"> Incumbent Jeff Sessions since February 9 , 2017 <Td_colspan="2"> United States Department of Justice Style The Honorable ( formal ) Mister Attorney General ( informal ) Member of Cabinet Reports to The President Seat Washington , D.C. Appointer The President with Senate confirmation Term length No fixed term Constituting instrument Judiciary Act of 1789 Formation September 26 , 1789 First holder Edmund Randolph Succession Seventh Deputy Deputy Attorney General Salary Executive Schedule , level 1 Website www.justice.gov The United States Attorney General ( A.G. ) is the head of the United States Department of Justice per 28 U.S.C. § 503 , concerned with legal affairs , and is the chief lawyer of the United States government . In cases of the federal death penalty , the power to seek the death penalty rests with the Attorney General . Under Article II Sec. 2 of the Constitution the Attorney General is nominated by the President and appointed with the advice and consent of Congress . The Constitution is clear that the Attorney General may be impeached by Congress . As to whether the Attorney General may be summarily removed by the President , no provision of the Constitution grants this power . The decisional law suggests that the President has the power to remove an official engaged in purely executive functions or an official whose duties immediately affect the President 's ability to fulfill his constitutional responsibilities , Bowsher v. Synar ( 1986 ) , but provides little or no guidance as to whether the office of Attorney General falls within these general guidelines . Contents ( hide ) 1 History 2 Presidential transition 3 List of Attorneys General 4 Living former U.S. Attorneys General 5 Line of succession 6 See also 7 Notes 8 References 9 External links History ( edit ) See also : United States Department of Justice § History Congress passed the Judiciary Act of 1789 which , besides 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 or her 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 . '' The Department of Justice was established in 1870 to support the Attorney General in the discharge of their responsibilities . The Attorney General , the Secretary of State , the Secretary of the Treasury , and the Secretary of Defense are generally regarded as the four most important cabinet officials because of the importance and age of their departments . Presidential transition ( edit ) It is the practice for the Attorney General , along with many other public officials , to give resignation with effect on the Inauguration Day ( January 20 ) of a new President . The Deputy Attorney General , who is also required to tender their resignation , is commonly requested to stay on and act as Attorney General pending the confirmation by the Senate of the new Attorney General . For example , on the inauguration of President Donald Trump on January , 20 , 2017 , the tenure of the then Attorney General Loretta Lynch was brought to an end , and the Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates , who had also tendered her resignation , was asked to stay on and be 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 . However , Yates was dismissed by Trump on January 30 , 2017 before Sessions had been confirmed . Dana Boente automatically succeeded Yates as Acting Attorney General as the next available successor in the line of succession . Boente , who was the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia , was the most senior Justice Department official whose resignation had not been accepted by Trump . When Sessions was confirmed and sworn in as Attorney General on February 9 , 2017 , Boente became Acting Deputy Attorney General . On March 10 , 2017 , Sessions oversaw the firing of 46 United States Attorneys , leaving only his acting Deputy Dana Boente and nominated Deputy Rod Rosenstein in place . Rosenstein 's appointment was subject to Senate confirmation . Rosenstein was confirmed on April 25 , 2017 and became Deputy Attorney General on April 26 , 2017 , and Boente reverted to his permanent position . As of May 12 , 2017 , 205 of the 207 senior Justice Department positions subject to presidential appointment were still awaiting nomination and then confirmation . Hearings by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary of four presidential nominees are still to take place . Deputy United States Attorneys , who are career officials , were left in an acting capacity for the Attorneys . List of Attorneys General ( edit ) Parties No party ( 1 ) Federalist ( 3 ) Democratic - Republican ( 5 ) Democratic ( 34 ) Whig ( 4 ) Republican ( 38 ) Status Denotes service as acting Attorneys General prior to appointment or after resignation No . Portrait Name State of Residence Took office Left office <Th_colspan="2"> President ( s ) Edmund Randolph Virginia September 26 , 1789 January 26 , 1794 George Washington William Bradford Pennsylvania January 27 , 1794 August 23 , 1795 Charles Lee Virginia December 10 , 1795 February 19 , 1801 John Adams Levi Lincoln Sr . Massachusetts March 5 , 1801 March 2 , 1805 Thomas Jefferson 5 John Breckinridge Kentucky August 7 , 1805 December 14 , 1806 6 Caesar A. Rodney Delaware January 20 , 1807 December 10 , 1811 James Madison 7 William Pinkney Maryland December 11 , 1811 February 9 , 1814 8 Richard Rush Pennsylvania February 10 , 1814 November 12 , 1817 9 William Wirt Virginia November 13 , 1817 March 4 , 1829 James Monroe John Quincy Adams 10 John M. Berrien Georgia March 9 , 1829 July 19 , 1831 Andrew Jackson 11 Roger B. Taney Maryland July 20 , 1831 November 14 , 1833 12 Benjamin Franklin Butler New York November 15 , 1833 July 4 , 1838 Martin Van Buren 13 Felix Grundy Tennessee July 5 , 1838 January 10 , 1840 14 Henry D. Gilpin Pennsylvania January 11 , 1840 March 4 , 1841 15 John J. Crittenden Kentucky March 5 , 1841 September 12 , 1841 William Henry Harrison John Tyler 16 Hugh Swinton Legaré South Carolina September 13 , 1841 June 30 , 1843 17 John Nelson Maryland July 1 , 1843 March 4 , 1845 18 John Y. Mason Virginia March 5 , 1845 October 16 , 1846 James K. Polk 19 Nathan Clifford Maine October 17 , 1846 March 17 , 1848 20 Isaac Toucey Connecticut June 21 , 1848 March 4 , 1849 21 Reverdy Johnson Maryland March 8 , 1849 July 21 , 1850 Zachary Taylor 22 John J. Crittenden Kentucky July 22 , 1850 March 4 , 1853 Millard Fillmore 23 Caleb Cushing Massachusetts March 7 , 1853 March 4 , 1857 Franklin Pierce 24 Jeremiah S. Black Pennsylvania March 6 , 1857 December 16 , 1860 James Buchanan 25 Edwin M. Stanton Pennsylvania December 20 , 1860 March 4 , 1861 26 Edward Bates Missouri March 5 , 1861 November 24 , 1864 Abraham Lincoln 27 James Speed Kentucky December 2 , 1864 July 22 , 1866 Andrew Johnson 28 Henry Stanbery Ohio July 23 , 1866 July 16 , 1868 29 William M. Evarts New York July 17 , 1868 March 4 , 1869 30 Ebenezer R. Hoar Massachusetts March 5 , 1869 November 22 , 1870 Ulysses S. Grant 31 Amos T. Akerman Georgia November 23 , 1870 December 13 , 1871 32 George Henry Williams Oregon December 14 , 1871 April 25 , 1875 33 Edwards Pierrepont New York April 26 , 1875 May 21 , 1876 34 Alphonso Taft Vermont May 22 , 1876 March 4 , 1877 35 Charles Devens Massachusetts March 12 , 1877 March 4 , 1881 Rutherford B. Hayes 36 Wayne MacVeagh Pennsylvania March 5 , 1881 December 15 , 1881 James A. Garfield Chester A. Arthur 37 Benjamin H. Brewster Pennsylvania December 16 , 1881 March 4 , 1885 38 Augustus H. Garland Arkansas March 6 , 1885 March 4 , 1889 Grover Cleveland 39 William H.H. Miller Indiana March 7 , 1889 March 4 , 1893 Benjamin Harrison 40 Richard Olney Massachusetts March 6 , 1893 April 7 , 1895 Grover Cleveland 41 Judson Harmon Ohio April 8 , 1895 March 4 , 1897 42 Joseph McKenna California March 5 , 1897 January 25 , 1898 William McKinley 43 John W. Griggs New Jersey January 25 , 1898 March 29 , 1901 44 Philander C. Knox Pennsylvania April 5 , 1901 June 30 , 1904 Theodore Roosevelt 45 William H. Moody Massachusetts July 1 , 1904 December 17 , 1906 46 Charles J. Bonaparte Maryland December 17 , 1906 March 4 , 1909 47 George W. Wickersham New York March 4 , 1909 March 4 , 1913 William Howard Taft 48 James C. McReynolds Tennessee March 5 , 1913 August 29 , 1914 Woodrow Wilson 49 Thomas Watt Gregory Texas August 29 , 1914 March 4 , 1919 50 Alexander Mitchell Palmer Pennsylvania March 5 , 1919 March 4 , 1921 51 Harry M. Daugherty Ohio March 4 , 1921 April 6 , 1924 Warren G. Harding Calvin Coolidge 52 Harlan F. Stone New York April 7 , 1924 March 1 , 1925 53 John G. Sargent Vermont March 7 , 1925 March 4 , 1929 54 William D. Mitchell Minnesota March 4 , 1929 March 4 , 1933 Herbert Hoover 55 Homer Stille Cummings Connecticut March 4 , 1933 January 1 , 1939 Franklin D. Roosevelt 56 Frank Murphy Michigan January 2 , 1939 January 18 , 1940 57 Robert H. Jackson New York January 18 , 1940 August 25 , 1941 58 Francis Biddle Pennsylvania August 26 , 1941 June 26 , 1945 Harry S. Truman 59 Tom C. Clark Texas June 27 , 1945 July 26 , 1949 60 J. Howard McGrath Rhode Island July 27 , 1949 April 3 , 1952 61 James P. McGranery Pennsylvania April 4 , 1952 January 20 , 1953 62 Herbert Brownell Jr . New York January 21 , 1953 October 23 , 1957 Dwight D. Eisenhower 63 William P. Rogers Maryland October 23 , 1957 January 20 , 1961 64 Robert F. Kennedy Massachusetts January 20 , 1961 September 3 , 1964 John F. Kennedy Lyndon B. Johnson 65 Nicholas Katzenbach Illinois September 4 , 1964 January 28 , 1965 January 28 , 1965 November 28 , 1966 66 Ramsey Clark Texas November 28 , 1966 March 10 , 1967 March 10 , 1967 January 20 , 1969 67 John N. Mitchell New York January 20 , 1969 February 15 , 1972 Richard Nixon 68 Richard Kleindienst Arizona February 15 , 1972 May 25 , 1973 69 Elliot Richardson Massachusetts May 25 , 1973 October 20 , 1973 -- Robert Bork Acting Pennsylvania October 20 , 1973 January 4 , 1974 70 William B. Saxbe Ohio January 4 , 1974 January 14 , 1975 Gerald Ford 71 Edward H. Levi Illinois January 14 , 1975 January 20 , 1977 -- Dick Thornburgh Acting Pennsylvania January 20 , 1977 January 26 , 1977 Jimmy Carter 72 Griffin Bell Georgia January 26 , 1977 August 16 , 1979 73 Benjamin Civiletti Maryland August 16 , 1979 January 19 , 1981 74 William French Smith California January 23 , 1981 February 25 , 1985 Ronald Reagan 75 Edwin Meese California February 25 , 1985 August 12 , 1988 76 Dick Thornburgh Pennsylvania August 12 , 1988 August 15 , 1991 George H.W. Bush 77 William P. Barr New York August 16 , 1991 November 26 , 1991 November 26 , 1991 January 20 , 1993 -- Stuart M. Gerson Acting Washington , D.C. January 20 , 1993 March 12 , 1993 Bill Clinton 78 Janet Reno Florida March 12 , 1993 January 20 , 2001 -- Eric Holder Acting Washington , D.C. January 20 , 2001 February 2 , 2001 George W. Bush 79 John Ashcroft Missouri February 2 , 2001 February 3 , 2005 80 Alberto Gonzales Texas February 3 , 2005 September 17 , 2007 -- Paul Clement Acting Washington , D.C. September 17 , 2007 September 18 , 2007 -- Peter Keisler Acting Washington , D.C. September 18 , 2007 November 9 , 2007 81 Michael Mukasey New York November 9 , 2007 January 20 , 2009 -- Mark Filip Acting Illinois January 20 , 2009 February 3 , 2009 Barack Obama 82 Eric Holder Washington , D.C. February 3 , 2009 April 27 , 2015 83 Loretta Lynch New York April 27 , 2015 January 20 , 2017 -- Sally Yates Acting Georgia January 20 , 2017 January 30 , 2017 Donald Trump -- Dana Boente Acting Virginia January 30 , 2017 February 9 , 2017 84 Jeff Sessions Alabama February 9 , 2017 Incumbent Living former U.S. Attorneys General ( edit ) As of March 2018 , there are eleven , living former US Attorneys General , the oldest being Ramsey Clark ( served 1967 -- 1969 , born 1927 ) . The most recent Attorney General to die was Janet Reno ( served 1993 -- 2001 , born 1938 ) on November 7 , 2016 . Name Term of office Date of birth ( and age ) Ramsey Clark 1967 -- 1969 ( 1927 - 12 - 18 ) December 18 , 1927 ( age 90 ) Benjamin Civiletti 1979 -- 1981 ( 1935 - 07 - 17 ) July 17 , 1935 ( age 82 ) Edwin Meese 1985 -- 1988 ( 1931 - 12 - 02 ) December 2 , 1931 ( age 86 ) Dick Thornburgh 1988 -- 1991 ( 1932 - 07 - 16 ) July 16 , 1932 ( age 85 ) William P. Barr 1991 -- 1993 ( 1950 - 05 - 23 ) May 23 , 1950 ( age 67 ) John Ashcroft 2001 -- 2005 ( 1942 - 05 - 09 ) May 9 , 1942 ( age 75 ) Alberto Gonzales 2005 -- 2007 ( 1955 - 08 - 04 ) August 4 , 1955 ( age 62 ) Michael Mukasey 2007 -- 2009 ( 1941 - 07 - 28 ) July 28 , 1941 ( age 76 ) Eric Holder 2009 -- 2015 ( 1951 - 01 - 21 ) January 21 , 1951 ( age 67 ) Loretta Lynch 2015 -- 2017 ( 1959 - 05 - 21 ) May 21 , 1959 ( age 58 ) Line of succession ( edit ) On February 9 , 2017 , President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order which modified the line of succession for the Attorney General . Under Executive Order 13762 signed by President Obama on January 13 , 2017 , before leaving office , the line of succession was : 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 See also ( edit ) Government of the United States portal Law portal Subpoena duces tecum Subpoena ad testificandum United States Deputy Attorney General United States Associate Attorney General United States Assistant Attorney General United States Solicitor General List of living former members of the United States Cabinet Executive Order 13557 for `` Order of Succession Within the Department of Justice '' Notes ( edit ) Nicholas Katzenbach ( 1964 -- 1965 ) , Ramsey Clark ( 1966 -- 1967 ) and William P. Barr ( 1991 ) served as acting attorney general in their capacity as deputy attorney general , until their own appointment as attorney general . Richard L. Thornburgh ( 1977 ) and Eric Holder ( 2001 ) served as acting attorney general in their capacity as deputy attorney general , until the appointment of a new attorney general . Both subsequently served as attorney general , Thornburgh 1988 -- 1991 and Holder 2009 -- 2015 . On October 20 , 1973 , Solicitor General Robert Bork became acting attorney general following the `` Saturday Night Massacre '' , in which U.S. Attorney General Elliot Richardson and Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus both resigned . Assistant Attorney General for the DOJ Civil Division Stuart M. Gerson was acting attorney general from January 20 , 1993 , to March 12 , 1993 . Gerson was fourth in the line of succession at the Justice Department ( other senior DOJ officials had already resigned ) . During his time as Acting AG , Gerson supported the Brady bill and was in office in the beginnings of the Waco siege . Janet Reno , President Clinton 's nominee for attorney general , was confirmed on March 12 , and he resigned the same day . Acting Attorney General Gerson 's last day at the Justice Department was March 19 . On August 27 , 2007 , President Bush named Solicitor General Paul Clement as the future acting attorney general , to take office upon the resignation of Alberto Gonzales , effective September 17 , 2007 . According to administration officials , Clement took that office at 12 : 01 am September 17 , 2007 , and left office 24 hours later . 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 . Keisler served as acting attorney general until the nomination of Michael Mukasey on November 9 , 2007 . Deputy Attorney General Mark Filip was asked to assume the position of acting attorney general by then President - elect Obama . Filip led the Department while President Obama 's nominee , then Attorney - General Designate Eric Holder , awaited confirmation by the United States Senate . Holder was confirmed on February 2 , 2009 , and sworn in the next day , thus ending Filip 's tenure as the acting attorney general . References ( edit ) Jump up ^ `` 3 U.S. Code § 19 - Vacancy in offices of both President and Vice President ; officers eligible to act '' . Jump up ^ Judiciary Act of 1789 , section 35 . Jump up ^ Cabinets and Counselors : The President and the Executive Branch ( 1997 ) . Congressional Quarterly . p. 87 . Jump up ^ Lichtblau , Eric ; Apuzzo , Matt ; Landler , Mark ( January 30 , 2017 ) . `` Trump Fires Acting Attorney General '' . The New York Times . Jump up ^ `` Acting Attorney General Sally Yates Refuses to Enforce Trump Refugee EO '' . Lawfare Blog . January 31 , 2017 . Retrieved January 31 , 2017 . Jump up ^ `` Meet the U.S. Attorney : Dana J. Boente '' . U.S. Department of Justice . Retrieved February 1 , 2016 . This article incorporates text from this source , which is in the public domain . Jump up ^ Lichtblau , Eric ; Apuzzo , Matt ; Landler , Mark ( January 30 , 2017 ) . `` Trump Fires Acting Attorney General '' . The New York Times . Jump up ^ `` Acting Attorney General Sally Yates Refuses to Enforce Trump Refugee EO '' . Lawfare Blog . January 31 , 2017 . Retrieved January 31 , 2017 . Jump up ^ Lichtblau , Eric ( February 8 , 2017 ) . `` Jeff Sessions Confirmed as Attorney General , Capping Bitter Battle '' . The New York Times Company . Retrieved February 9 , 2017 . Jump up ^ `` Meet the Acting Deputy Attorney General DAG Department of Justice '' . www.justice.gov . Retrieved February 28 , 2017 . ^ Jump up to : Charlie Savage ; Maggie Haberman ( March 11 , 2017 ) . `` Trump Abruptly Orders 46 Obama - Era Prosecutors to Resign '' . The New York Times . p . A1 . Retrieved May 10 , 2017 . Jump up ^ Wall Street Journal , May 12 , 2017 , The 205 Open Jobs at Justice Jump up ^ `` Without fanfare , Trump reverses Obama order on Justice Department succession '' . USA Today . February 10 , 2017 . Retrieved February 13 , 2017 . Jump up ^ `` Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Justice '' . Federal Register . January 21 , 2017 . Retrieved January 21 , 2017 . Jump up ^ `` Executive Order 13787 , Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Justice '' ( PDF ) . Federal Register / Vol. 82 , No. 64 / Presidential Documents. April 5 , 2017 . Jump up ^ Cahoon , Ben ( 2000 ) . `` United States Government '' . World Statesmen . Retrieved December 12 , 2008 . January 20 , 1993 -- March 12 , 1993 Stuart M. Gerson ( acting ) ( b . 1944 ) ^ Jump up to : Staff reporter ( February 21 , 1993 ) . `` Stuart Gerson 's Parting Shot '' . New York Times . Retrieved December 12 , 2008 . As supporters of the Brady gun - control bill prepare to introduce it in Congress yet again this week , they find a welcome , if unlikely , ally in Stuart Gerson , the Acting Attorney General . Because President Clinton has had so many problems finding a new Attorney General , Mr. Gerson remains in office ... Jump up ^ Labaton , Stephen ( January 25 , 1993 ) . `` Notes on Justice ; Who 's in Charge ? Bush Holdover Says He Is , but Two Clinton Men Differ '' . The New York Times . Retrieved December 12 , 2008 . ^ Jump up to : Scruggs , Richard ; Steven Zipperstein ; Robert Lyon ; Victor Gonzalez ; Herbert Cousins ; Roderick Beverly ( October 8 , 1993 ) . `` Report to the Deputy Attorney General on the Events at Waco , Texas February 28 to April 19 , 1993 '' . Department of Justice . Retrieved January 27 , 2010 . ^ Jump up to : Ifill , Gwen ( March 12 , 1993 ) . `` Reno Confirmed in Top Justice Job '' . New York Times . Retrieved December 12 , 2008 . She will replace Acting Attorney General Stuart M. Gerson , a holdover appointee from the Bush Administration . Ms. Reno said he resigned today . Jump up ^ Meyers , Steven Lee ( August 27 , 2007 ) . `` Embattled Attorney General Resigns '' . The New York Times . Retrieved August 27 , 2007 . Jump up ^ Eggen , Dan ; Elizabeth Williamson ( September 19 , 2007 ) . `` Democrats May Tie Confirmation to Gonzales Papers '' . Washington Post . pp. A10 . Retrieved September 19 , 2007 . Jump up ^ `` President Bush Announces Judge Michael Mukasey as Nominee for Attorney General '' , White House press release , September 17 , 2007 Jump up ^ `` Bush Text on Attorney General Nomination '' . NewsOK.com . The Oklahoman . The Associated Press . September 17 , 2007 . Retrieved September 18 , 2007 . Jump up ^ Staff reporter ( January 15 , 2009 ) . `` Obama asks U.S. Attorneys to stay ' for the time being ' '' . CNN Political Ticker . Retrieved January 21 , 2009 . In addition , Obama 's transition team has asked current Deputy Attorney General Mark Filip , also a Bush appointee , to serve as Acting Attorney General replacing outgoing Attorney General Michael Mukasey. ) Jump up ^ Staff reporter ( January 21 , 2009 ) . `` Bush Appointees Holding Down the Fort While Obama Nominees Await Confirmation '' . FOX News . Archived from the original on April 29 , 2009 . Retrieved February 4 , 2009 . While Holder waits for his confirmation , Bush appointee Mark Filip is acting attorney general . A former U.S. District Court judge in Illinois , the native Chicagoan holds a law degree from Harvard and was a lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School . Holder was supposed to have faced a confirmation vote on Wednesday , but scheduling conflicts necessitated a delay in the Senate . Jump up ^ `` Acting Attorney General Mark Filip . '' United States Department of Justice . January 20 , 2009 . ( Archived by WebCite at https://www.webcitation.org/5eJ6TAbgg ) Jump up ^ Staff reporter ( February 3 , 2009 ) . `` Obama attorney - general confirmed '' . BBC News . Retrieved February 3 , 2009 . President Barack Obama 's choice for attorney - general , Eric Holder , has been confirmed in the post by the US Senate . Jump up ^ Staff ( n.d. ) . `` USDOJ : Office of the Attorney General '' . US Department of Justice . Retrieved February 3 , 2009 . Alberto Gonzales . was sworn in as the 83rd Attorney General of the United States on March 22 , 2013 by Vice-President Joe Biden . President Barack Obama announced his intention to nominate Mr. Gonzales on December 1 , 2012 . External links ( edit ) Official website <Th_colspan="3"> Current U.S. order of precedence ( ceremonial ) Preceded by James Mattis as Secretary of Defense Order of Precedence of the United States as Attorney General Succeeded by Ryan Zinke as Secretary of the Interior <Th_colspan="3"> Current U.S. presidential line of succession Preceded by Secretary of Defense James Mattis 7th in line Succeeded by Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke <Th_colspan="3"> United States Attorneys General 18th century Randolph Bradford Lee 19th century Lincoln Breckinridge Rodney Pinkney Rush Wirt Berrien Taney Butler Grundy Gilpin Crittenden Legaré Nelson Mason Clifford Toucey Johnson Crittenden Cushing Black Stanton Bates Speed Stanbery Evarts Hoar Akerman Williams Pierrepont Taft Devens MacVeagh Brewster Garland Miller Olney Harmon McKenna Griggs 20th century Knox Moody Bonaparte Wickersham McReynolds Gregory Palmer Daugherty Stone Sargent W.D. Mitchell Cummings Murphy Jackson Biddle T.C. Clark McGrath McGranery Brownell Rogers Kennedy Katzenbach R. Clark J.N. Mitchell Kleindienst Richardson Saxbe Levi Bell Civiletti Smith Meese Thornburgh Barr Reno 21st century Ashcroft Gonzales Mukasey Holder Lynch Sessions <Th_colspan="3"> Agencies under the United States Department of Justice <Td_colspan="3"> Headquarters : Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building Jeff Sessions , Attorney General Rod Rosenstein , Deputy Attorney General Deputy Attorney General Justice Management Division Criminal Division National Security Division Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives Drug Enforcement Administration Federal Bureau of Investigation Federal Bureau of Prisons National Institute of Corrections United States Marshals Service Executive Office for Immigration Review Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management Office of the Federal Detention Trustee Office of the Pardon Attorney Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties Office of Professional Responsibility Office on Sexual Violence and Crimes against Children Office of Tribal Justice Professional Responsibility Advisory Office United States Attorneys INTERPOL , U.S. National Central Bureau United States Parole Commission Office of Legal Counsel Associate Attorney General Office of Justice Programs Office of Dispute Resolution Office on Violence Against Women Community Oriented Policing Services Office of Information Policy Foreign Claims Settlement Commission Antitrust Division Civil Division Civil Rights Division Environment and Natural Resources Division Tax Division United States Trustee Program Community Relations Service Office of Legal Policy Assistant Attorneys General Antitrust Division Civil Division Civil Rights Division Criminal Division National Security Division Environmental and Natural Resources Division Justice Management Division Tax Division Office of Legal Counsel Office of Legal Policy Office of Legislative Affairs Office of Justice Programs <Td_colspan="3"> Solicitor General <Th_colspan="2"> Leaders of the United States federal executive departments Current Agriculture Commerce Defense Education Energy Health and Human Services Homeland Security Housing and Urban Development Interior Justice Labor State Transportation Treasury Veterans Affairs Past Commerce and Labor Health , Education , and Welfare Navy Post Office War <Th_colspan="2"> Presidential line of succession in the United States of America <Td_colspan="2"> Vice President ( Mike Pence ) Speaker of the House of Representatives ( Paul Ryan ) President pro tempore of the Senate ( Orrin Hatch ) Secretary of State ( John Sullivan ) Secretary of the Treasury ( Steven Mnuchin ) Secretary of Defense ( Jim Mattis ) Attorney General ( Jeff Sessions ) Secretary of the Interior ( Ryan Zinke ) Secretary of Agriculture ( Sonny Perdue ) Secretary of Commerce ( Wilbur Ross ) Secretary of Labor ( Alex Acosta ) Secretary of Health and Human Services ( Alex Azar ) Secretary of Housing and Urban Development ( Ben Carson ) Secretary of Transportation ( Elaine Chao ) Secretary of Energy ( Rick Perry ) Secretary of Education ( Betsy DeVos ) Secretary of Veterans Affairs ( Robert Wilkie ) Secretary of Homeland Security ( Kirstjen Nielsen ) <Td_colspan="2"> Jump up ^ Sullivan serves as the Acting Secretary of State , and is thus ineligible for the presidency . Mike Pompeo has been formally nominated for the position by Donald Trump . Jump up ^ Although Elaine Chao is the current Secretary of Transportation , she is not a natural - born citizen ( acquired U.S. citizenship by naturalization ) and thus ineligible for the presidency . <Th_colspan="2"> Attorneys General of the Individual States States Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Federal district Washington , D.C. Insular areas American Samoa Guam Northern Mariana Islands Puerto Rico U.S. Virgin Islands <Th_colspan="3"> Attorneys General of the Americas <Td_colspan="3"> North America South America Sovereign states Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Bahamas Barbados Belize Bolivia Brazil Canada Chile Colombia Costa Rica Cuba Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador El Salvador Grenada Guatemala Guyana Haiti Honduras Jamaica Mexico Nicaragua Panama Paraguay Peru Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Suriname Trinidad and Tobago United States Uruguay Venezuela Dependencies and other territories Anguilla Aruba Bermuda Bonaire British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Curaçao Falkland Islands French Guiana Greenland Guadeloupe Martinique Montserrat Puerto Rico Saint Barthélemy Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saba Sint Eustatius Sint Maarten South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Turks and Caicos Islands US Virgin Islands Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=United_States_Attorney_General&oldid=832957213 '' Categories : United States Attorneys General 1789 establishments in the United States Cabinet of the United States Lists of members of the Cabinet of the United States Hidden categories : Use mdy dates from November 2017 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Català Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch Eesti Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français हिन्दी Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Lietuvių Bahasa Melayu Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Русский Simple English Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska ไทย Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt 中文 24 more Edit links This page was last edited on 28 March 2018 , at 21 : 55 . 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