What’s the US Attorney General?

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The United States Attorney General is the top adviser to the government and manages the Department of Justice. They advise the executive branch on legal matters and represent the government in the Supreme Court. Cabinet members can seek private legal advice, but the Attorney General represents the government in court. The position was created in 1789 and has evolved over time. The Attorney General’s position usually ends with a change in administration, but some have served longer. The first woman and Hispanic Attorney General were appointed by Presidents Clinton and Bush, respectively.

The United States Attorney General is the principal adviser for the United States. He is nominated by the President of the United States and serves on the Presidential Cabinet. In addition to being the top adviser to the government, the United States Attorney General also manages and leads the United States Department of Justice.
The Attorney General must advise the executive branch of government on legal matters and administer the Department of Justice. He or she will also represent the government in legal matters brought to the Supreme Court. If the matter is not deemed critically important, the Attorney General may direct the United States Attorney General to discuss legal matters in court.

Cabinet members are not barred from choosing private attorneys to advise them. Indeed any branch of government or an individual department can seek the advice of a private solicitor. However, this lawyer cannot defend them in the Supreme Court. This remains the position of the Attorney General or Attorney General.

The United States Congress created the position of Attorney General of the United States in 1789. The first Attorney General, Edmund Randolph, served President George Washington from 1789 to 1784. Initially the position was only to represent the government in the Supreme Court and advising the President and members of his cabinet. Administration of the Justice Department was not added to the Attorney General’s role until 1870. The Justice Department was not created until then.

Because the president appoints the attorney general, his position usually ends when the administration changes to another president. Thus, most Attorneys General will serve no more than eight years.
This was less true of the Attorney General in the early years after the creation of the United States government. William Wirt served as attorney general for both James Monroe and John Quincy Adams for a term that lasted 12 years.

The first woman to hold the office of Attorney General was Janet Reno, appointed by President Bill Clinton. You have served the Clinton administration from beginning to end. The first Hispanic Attorney General to be appointed was Alberto Gonzales by President George W. Bush, replacing John Ashcroft in 2005.




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