United States Attorney General

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Alberto Gonzales, current Attorney General of the United States

The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. The current Attorney General is Alberto Gonzales.

The office of Attorney General was established by Congress in 1789. 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." (Judiciary Act of 1789, section 35.) Only in 1870 was the Department of Justice established to support the Attorney General in the discharge of his responsibilities.

The members of the Department of Justice represent the United States in legal matters generally and offer advice and opinions to the President and to the heads of the executive departments of the Government when so requested. The Attorney General appears in person to represent the Government before the Supreme Court in cases of exceptional importance. Under most circumstances the United States Solicitor General argues before the Supreme Court on the government's behalf.

The Attorney General is a member of the President's Cabinet, the only member who is not given the title Secretary.

United States Attorneys General
Name Term of Office President(s) served under
Edmund Randolph 17891794 George Washington
William Bradford 17941795 George Washington
Charles Lee 17951801 George Washington, John Adams
Levi Lincoln 18011805 Thomas Jefferson
Robert Smith 1805 Thomas Jefferson
John Breckinridge 18051806 Thomas Jefferson
Caesar A. Rodney 18071811 Thomas Jefferson, James Madison
William Pinkney 18111814 James Madison
Richard Rush 18141817 James Madison
William Wirt 18171829 James Monroe, John Quincy Adams
John M. Berrien 18291831 Andrew Jackson
Roger B. Taney 18311833 Andrew Jackson
Benjamin F. Butler 18331838 Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren
Felix Grundy 18381839 Martin Van Buren
Henry Gilpin 18401841 Martin Van Buren
John J. Crittenden 18411841 William Henry Harrison, John Tyler
Hugh S. Legaré 18411843 John Tyler
John Nelson 18431845 John Tyler
John Y. Mason 18451846 James Knox Polk
Nathan Clifford 18461848 James Knox Polk
Isaac Toucey 18481849 James Knox Polk
Reverdy Johnson 18491850 Zachary Taylor
John J. Crittenden 18501853 Millard Fillmore
Caleb Cushing 18531857 Franklin Pierce
Jeremiah S. Black 18571860 James Buchanan
Edwin M. Stanton 18601861 James Buchanan
Edward Bates 18611864 Abraham Lincoln
James Speed 18641866 Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson
Henry Stanberry 18661868 Andrew Johnson
William M. Evarts 18681869 Andrew Johnson
Ebenezer R. Hoar 18691870 Ulysses S. Grant
Amos T. Akerman 18701872 Ulysses S. Grant
George H. Williams 18711875 Ulysses S. Grant
Edwards Pierrepont 18751876 Ulysses S. Grant
Alphonso Taft 18761877 Ulysses S. Grant
Charles Devens 18771881 Rutherford B. Hayes
Wayne MacVeagh 18811881 James Garfield
Benjamin H. Brewster 18811885 Chester A. Arthur
Augustus Hill Garland 18851889 Grover Cleveland
William H.H. Miller 18891893 Benjamin Harrison
Richard Olney 18931895 Grover Cleveland
Judson Harmon 18951897 Grover Cleveland
Joseph McKenna 18971898 William McKinley
John W. Griggs 18981901 William McKinley
Philander C. Knox 19011904 William McKinley
William H. Moody 19041906 Theodore Roosevelt
Charles Joseph Bonaparte 19061909 Theodore Roosevelt
George W. Wickersham 19091913 William Howard Taft
James C. McReynolds 19131914 Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Watt Gregory 19141919 Woodrow Wilson
A. Mitchell Palmer 19191921 Woodrow Wilson
Harry M. Daugherty 19211924 Warren G. Harding
Harlan Fiske Stone 19241925 Calvin Coolidge
John G. Sargent 19251929 Calvin Coolidge
William D. Mitchell 19291933 Herbert Hoover
Homer S. Cummings 19331939 Franklin D. Roosevelt
Frank Murphy 19391940 Franklin D. Roosevelt
Robert H. Jackson 19401941 Franklin D. Roosevelt
Francis Biddle 19411945 Franklin D. Roosevelt
Tom C. Clark 19451949 Harry S. Truman
J. Howard McGrath 19491952 Harry S. Truman
James P. McGranery 19521953 Harry S. Truman
Herbert Brownell, Jr. 19531957 Dwight D. Eisenhower
William P. Rogers 19571961 Dwight D. Eisenhower
Robert F. Kennedy 19611964 John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson
Nicholas deB. Katzenbach 19651966 Lyndon Johnson
Ramsey Clark 19671969 Lyndon Johnson
John Mitchell 19691972 Richard Nixon
Richard G. Kleindienst 19721973 Richard Nixon
Elliot L. Richardson 19731973 Richard Nixon
William B. Saxbe 19741975 Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford
Edward H. Levi 19751977 Gerald Ford
Griffin B. Bell 19771979 Jimmy Carter
Benjamin R. Civiletti 19791981 Jimmy Carter
William French Smith 19811985 Ronald Reagan
Edwin Meese III 19851988 Ronald Reagan
Richard L. Thornburgh 19881991 Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush
William Barr 19911993 George H. W. Bush
Janet Reno 19932001 Bill Clinton
John Ashcroft 20012005 George W. Bush
Alberto Gonzales 2005 – present George W. Bush

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