United States Attorney General facts for kids

Quick facts for kids United States Attorney General
Flag of the attorney general
Seal of the Department of Justice
Incumbent Pam Bondi since February 5, 2025
United States Department of Justice
Style	Madam Attorney General (informal) The Honorable (formal)
Member of	Cabinet National Security Council Homeland Security Council
Reports to	President
Seat	Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building Washington, D.C.
Appointer	President with Senate advice and consent
Term length	No fixed term
Constituting instrument	28 U.S.C. § 503
Formation	September 26, 1789
First holder	Edmund Randolph
Succession	Seventh
Deputy	Deputy Attorney General
Salary	Executive Schedule, Level I

The United States Attorney General is a very important person in the U.S. government. This person leads the United States Department of Justice. They are the main law enforcement officer for the entire country.

The Attorney General also gives legal advice to the president of the United States. They are a key member of the President's Cabinet. This means they are part of the President's top team. They are also part of the United States National Security Council, which deals with national safety. If something were to happen to the President, the Attorney General is seventh in line to take over.

The President chooses the Attorney General. The Senate then has to approve this choice. This happens after a special meeting with the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Attorney General gets help from a team of staff and other top lawyers. As of January 2025, the Attorney General earns about $250,600 per year.

What's in a Name?

The title "Attorney General" might sound a bit tricky. The word "General" here describes the type of attorney. It doesn't mean a military rank, like a general in the army.

Because of this, the correct way to say it when there's more than one is "attorneys general." It's not "attorney generals."

A Look Back in Time

Seal of the Department of Justice

The job of Attorney General was created a long time ago. It started in 1789 with a law called the Judiciary Act of 1789.

At first, the Attorney General's main jobs were to:

• Handle legal cases for the U.S. government in the Supreme Court.
• Give legal advice to the President and other government leaders.

Over time, some of these duties changed. Other lawyers, like the Solicitor General and the White House Counsel, now handle some of these tasks.

Later, in 1870, the Department of Justice was created. This department was made to help the Attorney General do their job better.

The Attorney General is one of the four most important Cabinet members. The others are the Secretary of State, Secretary of the Treasury, and Secretary of Defense. This is because their departments are very large and important.

What the Attorney General Does

The Attorney General is the top law enforcement officer for the U.S. government. Their main jobs include:

• Leading the United States Department of Justice.
• Making sure federal laws are followed.
• Giving legal advice to the President and other government leaders.

The Attorney General also represents the government in legal matters. They oversee many important agencies within the Department of Justice, such as:

• The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
• The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
• The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
• U.S. Attorneys
• The United States Marshals Service

The Attorney General also advises the President on who should be chosen for federal judge positions. They also help choose people for jobs within the Department of Justice. While the Attorney General can argue cases in the Supreme Court, the Solicitor General usually does this.

The Attorney General also handles legal issues related to public safety, civil rights, and national security. They talk to Congress about legal concerns. They also make sure federal laws are followed across all states. Sometimes, new laws change what the Attorney General does. For example, the PATRIOT Act in 2001 gave the department more power to investigate terrorism. This greatly increased the Attorney General's responsibilities. They also oversee federal prisons and the United States Federal Witness Protection Program.

When a New President Takes Office

When a new President is sworn in on January 20, the Attorney General usually offers to resign. This is a common practice for all top Cabinet members.

Often, the Deputy Attorney General is asked to stay on. They act as the Attorney General until the Senate approves the new person chosen by the President.

For example, when President Donald Trump became President in 2017, Attorney General Loretta Lynch left her job. The Deputy Attorney General, Sally Yates, then became the acting Attorney General. She stayed in that role until Jeff Sessions was approved by the Senate.

List of Attorneys General

This table shows the people who have served as Attorney General of the United States.

Political Parties

•       Federalist
•       Democratic-Republican
•       Democratic
•       Whig
•       Republican
•       Independent / Unknown

Acting Role

•      Denotes acting capacity.

No.	Portrait	Name	State of residence	Took office	Left office	President(s)
1		Randolph, EdmundEdmund Randolph	Virginia	September 26, 1789	January 26, 1794		Washington, GeorgeGeorge Washington (1789–1797)
2		Bradford, WilliamWilliam Bradford	Pennsylvania	January 27, 1794	August 23, 1795
3		Lee, CharlesCharles Lee	Virginia	December 10, 1795	February 19, 1801
							Adams, JohnJohn Adams (1797–1801)
4		Lincoln Sr., LeviLevi Lincoln Sr.	Massachusetts	March 5, 1801	March 2, 1805		Jefferson, ThomasThomas Jefferson (1801–1809)
5		Breckinridge, JohnJohn Breckinridge	Kentucky	August 7, 1805	December 14, 1806
6		Rodney, Caesar AugustusCaesar Augustus Rodney	Delaware	January 20, 1807	December 10, 1811
							Madison, JamesJames Madison (1809–1817)
7		Pinkney, WilliamWilliam Pinkney	Maryland	December 11, 1811	February 9, 1814
8		Rush, RichardRichard Rush	Pennsylvania	February 10, 1814	November 12, 1817
9		Wirt, WilliamWilliam Wirt	Virginia	November 13, 1817	March 4, 1829		Monroe, JamesJames Monroe (1817–1825)
							Adams, John QuincyJohn Quincy Adams (1825–1829)
10		Berrien, John MacphersonJohn Macpherson Berrien	Georgia	March 9, 1829	July 19, 1831		Jackson, AndrewAndrew Jackson (1829–1837)
11		Taney, Roger B.Roger B. Taney	Maryland	July 20, 1831	November 14, 1833
12		Butler, Benjamin FranklinBenjamin Franklin Butler	New York	November 15, 1833	July 4, 1838
							Van Buren, MartinMartin Van Buren (1837–1841)
13		Grundy, FelixFelix Grundy	Tennessee	July 5, 1838	January 10, 1840
14		Gilpin, Henry D.Henry D. Gilpin	Pennsylvania	January 11, 1840	March 4, 1841
15		Crittenden, John J.John J. Crittenden 1st term	Kentucky	March 5, 1841	September 12, 1841		Harrison, William HenryWilliam Henry Harrison (1841)
							Tyler, JohnJohn Tyler (1841–1845)
16		Legaré, Hugh S.Hugh S. Legaré	South Carolina	September 13, 1841	June 20, 1843
17		Nelson, JohnJohn Nelson	Maryland	July 1, 1843	March 4, 1845
18		Mason, John Y.John Y. Mason	Virginia	March 5, 1845	October 16, 1846		Polk, James K.James K. Polk (1845–1849)
19		Clifford, NathanNathan Clifford	Maine	October 17, 1846	March 17, 1848
20		Toucey, IsaacIsaac Toucey	Connecticut	June 21, 1848	March 4, 1849
21		Johnson, ReverdyReverdy Johnson	Maryland	March 8, 1849	July 21, 1850		Taylor, ZacharyZachary Taylor (1849–1850)
22		Crittenden, John J.John J. Crittenden 2nd term	Kentucky	July 22, 1850	March 4, 1853		Fillmore, MillardMillard Fillmore (1850–1853)
23		Cushing, CalebCaleb Cushing	Massachusetts	March 7, 1853	March 4, 1857		Pierce, FranklinFranklin Pierce (1853–1857)
24		Black, Jeremiah S.Jeremiah S. Black	Pennsylvania	March 6, 1857	December 16, 1860		Buchanan, JamesJames Buchanan (1857–1861)
25		Stanton, EdwinEdwin Stanton	Pennsylvania	December 20, 1860	March 4, 1861
26		Bates, EdwardEdward Bates	Missouri	March 5, 1861	November 24, 1864		Lincoln, AbrahamAbraham Lincoln (1861–1865)
27		Speed, JamesJames Speed	Kentucky	December 2, 1864	July 22, 1866
							Johnson, AndrewAndrew Johnson (1865–1869)
28		Stanbery, HenryHenry Stanbery	Ohio	July 23, 1866	July 16, 1868
29		Evarts, William M.William M. Evarts	New York	July 17, 1868	March 4, 1869
30		Hoar, Ebenezer R.Ebenezer R. Hoar	Massachusetts	March 5, 1869	November 22, 1870		Grant, Ulysses S.Ulysses S. Grant (1869–1877)
31		Akerman, Amos T.Amos T. Akerman	Georgia	November 23, 1870	December 13, 1871
32		Williams, George HenryGeorge Henry Williams	Oregon	December 14, 1871	April 25, 1875
33		Pierrepont, EdwardsEdwards Pierrepont	New York	April 26, 1875	May 21, 1876
34		Taft, AlphonsoAlphonso Taft	Ohio	May 22, 1876	March 4, 1877
35		Devens, CharlesCharles Devens	Massachusetts	March 12, 1877	March 4, 1881		Hayes, Rutherford B.Rutherford B. Hayes (1877–1881)
36		MacVeagh, WayneWayne MacVeagh	Pennsylvania	March 5, 1881	December 15, 1881		Garfield, James A.James A. Garfield (1881)
							Arthur, Chester A.Chester A. Arthur (1881–1885)
37		Brewster, Benjamin H.Benjamin H. Brewster	Pennsylvania	December 16, 1881	March 4, 1885
38		Garland, AugustusAugustus Garland	Arkansas	March 6, 1885	March 4, 1889		Cleveland, GroverGrover Cleveland (1885–1889)
39		Miller, William H. H.William H. H. Miller	Indiana	March 7, 1889	March 4, 1893		Harrison, BenjaminBenjamin Harrison (1889–1893)
40		Olney, RichardRichard Olney	Massachusetts	March 6, 1893	April 7, 1895		Cleveland, GroverGrover Cleveland (1893–1897)
41		Harmon, JudsonJudson Harmon	Ohio	April 8, 1895	March 4, 1897
42		McKenna, JosephJoseph McKenna	California	March 5, 1897	January 25, 1898		McKinley, WilliamWilliam McKinley (1897–1901)
43		Griggs, John W.John W. Griggs	New Jersey	January 25, 1898	March 29, 1901
44		Knox, Philander C.Philander C. Knox	Pennsylvania	April 5, 1901	June 30, 1904
							Roosevelt, TheodoreTheodore Roosevelt (1901–1909)
45		Moody, William HenryWilliam Henry Moody	Massachusetts	July 1, 1904	December 17, 1906
46		Bonaparte, CharlesCharles Bonaparte	Maryland	December 17, 1906	March 4, 1909
47		Wickersham, George W.George W. Wickersham	New York	March 4, 1909	March 4, 1913		Taft, William HowardWilliam Howard Taft (1909–1913)
48		McReynolds, JamesJames McReynolds	Tennessee	March 5, 1913	August 29, 1914		Wilson, WoodrowWoodrow Wilson (1913–1921)
49		Gregory, Thomas WattThomas Watt Gregory	Texas	August 29, 1914	March 4, 1919
50		Palmer, A. MitchellA. Mitchell Palmer	Pennsylvania	March 5, 1919	March 4, 1921
51		Daugherty, Harry M.Harry M. Daugherty	Ohio	March 4, 1921	April 6, 1924		Harding, Warren G.Warren G. Harding (1921–1923)
							Coolidge, CalvinCalvin Coolidge (1923–1929)
52		Stone, Harlan F.Harlan F. Stone	New York	April 7, 1924	March 1, 1925
53		Sargent, John G.John G. Sargent	Vermont	March 7, 1925	March 4, 1929
54		Mitchell, William D.William D. Mitchell	Minnesota	March 4, 1929	March 4, 1933		Hoover, HerbertHerbert Hoover (1929–1933)
55		Cummings, Homer StilleHomer Stille Cummings	Connecticut	March 4, 1933	January 1, 1939		Roosevelt, Franklin D.Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933–1945)
56		Murphy, FrankFrank Murphy	Michigan	January 2, 1939	January 18, 1940
57		Jackson, Robert H.Robert H. Jackson	New York	January 18, 1940	August 25, 1941
58		Biddle, FrancisFrancis Biddle	Pennsylvania	August 26, 1941	June 26, 1945		Truman, Harry S.Harry S. Truman (1945–1953)
59		Clark, Tom C.Tom C. Clark	Texas	June 27, 1945	July 26, 1949
60		McGrath, J. HowardJ. Howard McGrath	Rhode Island	July 27, 1949	April 3, 1952
61		McGranery, James P.James P. McGranery	Pennsylvania	April 4, 1952	January 20, 1953
62		Brownell Jr., HerbertHerbert Brownell Jr.	New York	January 21, 1953	October 23, 1957		Eisenhower, Dwight D.Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953–1961)
63		Rogers, William P.William P. Rogers	New York	October 23, 1957	January 20, 1961
64		Kennedy, Robert F.Robert F. Kennedy	Massachusetts	January 20, 1961	September 3, 1964		Kennedy, John F.John F. Kennedy (1961–1963)
							Johnson, Lyndon B.Lyndon B. Johnson (1963–1969)
65		Katzenbach, NicholasNicholas Katzenbach	Illinois	September 4, 1964	January 28, 1965
				January 28, 1965	November 28, 1966
66		Clark, RamseyRamsey Clark	Texas	November 28, 1966	March 10, 1967
				March 10, 1967	January 20, 1969
67		Mitchell, John N.John N. Mitchell	New York	January 20, 1969	February 15, 1972		Nixon, RichardRichard Nixon (1969–1974)
68		Kleindienst, RichardRichard Kleindienst	Arizona	February 15, 1972	April 30, 1973
69		Richardson, ElliotElliot Richardson	Massachusetts	May 25, 1973	October 20, 1973
–		Bork, RobertRobert Bork Acting	Pennsylvania	October 20, 1973	January 4, 1974
70		Saxbe, William B.William B. Saxbe	Ohio	January 4, 1974	February 2, 1975
							Ford, GeraldGerald Ford (1974–1977)
71		Levi, Edward H.Edward H. Levi	Illinois	February 2, 1975	January 20, 1977
–		Thornburgh, DickDick Thornburgh Acting	Pennsylvania	January 20, 1977	January 26, 1977		Carter, JimmyJimmy Carter (1977–1981)
72		Bell, GriffinGriffin Bell	Georgia	January 26, 1977	August 16, 1979
73		Civiletti, BenjaminBenjamin Civiletti	Maryland	August 16, 1979	January 19, 1981
74		Smith, William FrenchWilliam French Smith	California	January 23, 1981	February 25, 1985		Reagan, RonaldRonald Reagan (1981–1989)
75		Meese, EdwinEdwin Meese	California	February 25, 1985	August 12, 1988
76		Thornburgh, DickDick Thornburgh	Pennsylvania	August 12, 1988	August 15, 1991
							Bush, George H. W.George H. W. Bush (1989–1993)
77		Barr, WilliamWilliam Barr 1st term	Virginia	August 16, 1991	November 26, 1991
				November 26, 1991	January 20, 1993
–		Gerson, Stuart M.Stuart M. Gerson Acting	Washington, D.C.	January 20, 1993	March 12, 1993		Clinton, BillBill Clinton (1993–2001)
78		Reno, JanetJanet Reno	Florida	March 12, 1993	January 20, 2001
–		Holder, EricEric Holder Acting	Washington, D.C.	January 20, 2001	February 2, 2001		Bush, George W.George W. Bush (2001–2009)
79		Ashcroft, JohnJohn Ashcroft	Missouri	February 2, 2001	February 3, 2005
80		Gonzales, AlbertoAlberto Gonzales	Texas	February 3, 2005	September 17, 2007
–		Clement, PaulPaul Clement Acting	Washington, D.C.	September 17, 2007	September 18, 2007
–		Keisler, PeterPeter Keisler Acting	Washington, D.C.	September 18, 2007	November 9, 2007
81		Mukasey, MichaelMichael Mukasey	New York	November 9, 2007	January 20, 2009
–		Filip, MarkMark Filip Acting	Illinois	January 20, 2009	February 3, 2009		Obama, BarackBarack Obama (2009–2017)
82		Holder, EricEric Holder	Washington, D.C.	February 3, 2009	April 27, 2015
83		Lynch, LorettaLoretta Lynch	New York	April 27, 2015	January 20, 2017
–		Yates, SallySally Yates Acting	Georgia	January 20, 2017	January 30, 2017		Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (2017–2021)
–		Phillips, Channing D.Channing D. Phillips Acting	Washington, D.C.	January 30, 2017
–		Boente, DanaDana Boente Acting	Virginia	January 30, 2017	February 9, 2017
84		Sessions, JeffJeff Sessions	Alabama	February 9, 2017	November 7, 2018
–		Rosenstein, RodRod Rosenstein Acting	Maryland	November 7, 2018
–		Whitaker, MatthewMatthew Whitaker Acting	Iowa	November 7, 2018	February 14, 2019
85		Barr, WilliamWilliam Barr 2nd term	Virginia	February 14, 2019	December 23, 2020
–		Rosen, Jeffrey A.Jeffrey A. Rosen Acting	Massachusetts	December 24, 2020	January 20, 2021
–		Demers, JohnJohn Demers Acting	Massachusetts	January 20, 2021			Biden, JoeJoe Biden (2021–2025)
–		Wilkinson, MontyMonty Wilkinson Acting	Washington, D.C.	January 20, 2021	March 11, 2021
86		Garland, MerrickMerrick Garland	Maryland	March 11, 2021	January 20, 2025
–		Restaino, Gary M.Gary M. Restaino Acting	Arizona	January 20, 2025			Trump, DonaldDonald Trump (2025–present)
–		McHenry, JamesJames McHenry Acting	Washington, D.C.	January 20, 2025	February 5, 2025
87		Bondi, PamPam Bondi	Florida	February 5, 2025	Incumbent

Who Takes Over?

There's a specific order of who takes over if the Attorney General can't do their job. This order is set by law. The most recent person to hold the position is Pam Bondi, who started on February 5, 2025.

Here's the order of succession:

• United States Deputy Attorney General
• United States Associate Attorney General
• Other officers chosen by the Attorney General, such as:
  • 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, 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 Southern District of New York
• United States Attorney for the District of Arizona
• United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois
• United States Attorney for the District of Hawaii

Important Attorneys General

Some Attorneys General have been notable for being the first of their kind:

• First Italian American male: Charles Joseph Bonaparte (1906)
• First Jewish American male: Edward H. Levi (1975)
• First female: Janet Reno (1993)
• First Hispanic American male: Alberto Gonzales (2005)
• First African American male: Eric Holder (2009)
• First African American female: Loretta Lynch (2015)

See also

In Spanish: Fiscal general de los Estados Unidos para niños