Illinois Attorney General facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Attorney General of Illinois
Seal of the attorney general
Incumbent Kwame Raoul since January 14, 2019
Term length	4 years
Inaugural holder	Daniel Pope Cook
Formation	December 3, 1818
Succession	Second
Website	www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov

The Illinois Attorney General is the top legal officer for the state of Illinois in the United States. This important job was first filled by someone chosen for the role. Now, people vote for who they want to be the Attorney General in a statewide election.

The Attorney General's offices are in Chicago and Springfield. Their main job is to give legal advice to different state groups. This includes the governor of Illinois and the Illinois General Assembly. They also handle all legal matters that involve the state of Illinois.

The office of Illinois Attorney General started on December 3, 1818. This was based on rules made by a special state meeting. The Attorney General is second in line to become Governor of Illinois. The lieutenant governor is first. The very first person to be Attorney General was Daniel Pope Cook. He served for only eleven days. Later, he was elected to the United States Congress. Cook County was named after him.

The person currently holding this office is Kwame Raoul.

What the Attorney General Does

The Constitution of Illinois says the Attorney General is the state's main legal officer. They have special powers and duties given to them by law.

Protecting the People of Illinois

One key duty is to speak up for the people of Illinois. The Attorney General works with the Illinois General Assembly to help create new laws. They also go to court to make sure state laws are followed.

Key Responsibilities of the Office

The state's Attorney General Act lists several important jobs. These include:

• Representing the people of Illinois in the Supreme Court. This happens when the state or its people are involved in a case.
• Handling all legal actions and lawsuits that benefit the state.
• Defending state officers if they are sued for actions they took in their official jobs.
• Giving advice to local state's attorneys.
• Looking into any breaking of laws that the Attorney General must enforce.
• Giving advice to the governor and other state officers. They can also give written opinions on legal questions when asked.
• Providing written opinions to the Illinois General Assembly or its committees when requested.
• Preparing legal papers for contracts where the state is involved.
• Attending and presenting evidence to a statewide grand jury. They also handle prosecutions from these juries.
• Making sure money given to public groups is used correctly. They also act if there are problems with how this money is handled.

The Attorney General also supervises the Illinois Public Access Counselor. This office makes sure the state's Freedom of Information Act and Open Meetings Act are followed. These acts help people get information from the government and attend public meetings.

Past Attorneys General

Here is a list of the people who have served as Illinois Attorney General.

Political Parties

      Democratic       Republican       Democratic-Republican

#	Image	Name	Political party	Term
1		Daniel Pope Cook	Democratic-Republican	1819
2		William Mears	Democratic-Republican	1819–1821
3		Samuel D. Lockwood	Democratic-Republican	1821–1822
4		James Turney	Democratic-Republican	1822–1829
5		George Forquer	Democratic	1829–1832
6		James Semple	Democratic	1832–1834
7		Ninian Wirt Edwards	Democratic	1834–1835
8		Jesse B. Thomas Jr.	Democratic	1835–1836
9		Walter B. Scates	Democratic	1836–1837
10		Usher F. Linder	Democratic	1837–1838
11		George W. Olney	Democratic	1838–1839
12		Wickliffe Kitchell	Democratic	1839–1840
13		Josiah Lamborn	Democratic	1840–1843
14		James A. McDougall	Democratic	1843–1846
15		David B. Campbell	Democratic	1846–1848
Office abolished 1848–1867
16		Robert G. Ingersoll	Republican	1867–1869
17		Washington Bushnell	Republican	1869–1873
18		James K. Edsall	Republican	1873–1881
19		James A. McCartney	Republican	1881–1885
20		George Hunt	Republican	1885–1893
21		Maurice T. Moloney	Democratic	1893–1897
22		Edward C. Akin	Republican	1897–1901
23		Howland J. Hamlin	Republican	1901–1905
24		William H. Stead	Republican	1905–1913
25		Patrick J. Lucey	Democratic	1913–1917
26		Edward J. Brundage	Republican	1917–1925
27		Oscar E. Carlstrom	Republican	1925–1933
28		Otto Kerner Sr.	Democratic	1932–1938
29		John Edward Cassidy	Democratic	1938–1941
30		George F. Barrett	Republican	1941–1949
31		Ivan A. Elliott	Democratic	1949–1953
32		Latham Castle	Republican	1953–1959
33		Grenville Beardsley	Republican	1959–1960
34		William L. Guild	Republican	1960–1961
35		William G. Clark	Democratic	1961–1969
36		William J. Scott	Republican	1969–1980
37		Tyrone C. Fahner	Republican	1980–1983
38		Neil F. Hartigan	Democratic	1983–1991
39		Roland W. Burris	Democratic	1991–1995
40		Jim Ryan	Republican	1995–2003
41		Lisa Madigan	Democratic	2003–2019
42		Kwame Raoul	Democratic	2019–present

See also

In Spanish: Procurador general de Illinois para niños

• List of law enforcement agencies in Illinois