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United States Assistant Attorney General facts for kids

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Flag of a United States Assistant Attorney General
The flag of a U.S. Assistant Attorney General.

Many of the divisions and offices of the United States Department of Justice are headed by an assistant attorney general.

The president of the United States appoints individuals to the position of assistant attorney general with the advice and consent of the Senate. United States Department of Justice components that are led by an assistant attorney general are:

  • Antitrust Division
  • Civil Division
  • Civil Rights Division
  • Criminal Division
  • Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD)
  • Justice Management Division (JMD)
  • National Security Division
  • Office of Justice Programs (OJP)
  • Office of Legislative Affairs (OLA)
  • Office of Legal Counsel (OLC)
  • Office of Legal Policy (OLP)
  • Tax Division

Assistant attorneys general report either to the deputy attorney general (in the case of the Criminal Division, the Justice Management Division and the Offices of Legal Counsel, Legislative Affairs, and Legal Policy) or to the associate attorney general (in the case of the Antitrust, Civil, Civil Rights, Environment & Natural Resources, and Tax Divisions and the Office of Justice Programs).

List of U.S. Assistant Attorneys General

Assistant Attorney General

Name Years of service Appointed by President
Titian J. Coffey 1880–1884 Chester A. Arthur
Zachariah Montgomery 1885–1889 Grover Cleveland
John C. Chaney 1889–1893 Benjamin Harrison
William Arden Maury 1889–1893 Benjamin Harrison
Holmes Conrad 1893–1895 Grover Cleveland
Joshua Eric Dodge 1893–1897 Grover Cleveland
Edward Baldwin Whitney 1895–1897 Grover Cleveland
James Edmund Boyd 1897–1900 William McKinley
James M. Beck 1900–1903 William McKinley
James Clark McReynolds 1903–1907 Theodore Roosevelt
Edward Terry Sanford 1907–1908 Theodore Roosevelt
James Alexander Fowler 1908–1911 Theodore Roosevelt
William H. Lewis 1911 William Taft
Ernest Knaebel 1912–1916 William Taft
William L. Frierson 1917–1920 Woodrow Wilson
Annette Abbott Adams 1920–1921 Woodrow Wilson
Mabel Walker Willebrandt 1921–1929 Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge
Roger Wilkins 1966–1969 Lyndon Johnson
Wesley Pomeroy 1968–1969 Richard Nixon

Antitrust Division

Name Years of service Appointed by
William Joseph Donovan 1926–1927 Calvin Coolidge
John Lord O'Brian 1929–1933 Herbert Hoover
Robert H. Jackson 1937–1938 Franklin D. Roosevelt
Thurman Arnold 1938–1943 Franklin D. Roosevelt
Wendell Berge 1943–1947 Franklin D. Roosevelt
John F. Sonnett 1947–1948 Harry S. Truman
Herbert Bergson 1948–1950 Harry S. Truman
Leonard Bessman 1950–1951 Harry S. Truman
H. Graham Morison 1951–1952 Harry S. Truman
Newell A. Clapp 1952–1953 acting
Stanley Barnes 1953–1956 Eisenhower
Victor R. Hansen 1956–1959 Eisenhower
Robert A. Bicks 1959–1961 Eisenhower
Lee Loevinger 1961–1963 Kennedy
William Horsley Orrick, Jr. 1963–1965 Kennedy
Donald F. Turner 1965–1968 Lyndon Johnson
Edwin Zimmerman 1968–1969 Lyndon Johnson
Richard W. McLaren 1969–1972 Richard Nixon
Walker B. Comegys 1972 acting
Thomas E. Kauper 1972–1976 Richard Nixon
Donald I. Baker 1976–1977 Gerald R. Ford
John H. Shenefield 1977–1979 Jimmy Carter
Sanford Litvack 1979–1981 Jimmy Carter
William Baxter 1981–1983 Ronald Reagan
J. Paul McGrath 1983–1985 Ronald Reagan
Douglas H. Ginsburg 1985–1986 Ronald Reagan
Charles Rule 1986–1989 Ronald Reagan
James F. Rill 1989–1992 George H.W. Bush
Charles James 1992 acting
J. Mark Gidley 1992–1993 acting
Anne Bingaman 1993–1996 Bill Clinton
Joel Klein 1996–2000 Bill Clinton
Douglas Melamed 2000–2001 acting
Charles James 2001–2003 George W. Bush
R. Hewitt Pate 2003–2005 George W. Bush
Thomas O. Barnett 2005–2008 George W. Bush
Deborah A. Garza 2008–2009 acting
Christine A. Varney 2009–2011 Barack Obama
Sharis Pozen 2011–2012 acting
Joseph F. Wayland 2012 acting
Renata Hesse 2012–2013 acting
William Baer 2013–2017 Barack Obama
Makan Delrahim 2017–2021 Donald J. Trump
Jonathan Kanter 2021–Present Joe Biden

Civil Division

# Name Term began Term ended President(s) served under
1 Charles B. Rugg 1930 1933 Herbert Hoover
2 George Clinton Sweeney 1933 1935 Franklin D. Roosevelt
3 Angus D. MacLean 1935
4 James W. Morris 1935 1937
5 Sam E. Whitaker 1937 1939
6 Francis M. Shea 1939 1945
7 John F. Sonnett 1945 1947 Harry S. Truman
8 Peyton Ford 1947 1949
9 H. Graham Morison 1949 1951
10 Holmes Baldridge 1951 1953
11 Warren E. Burger 1953 1956 Dwight D. Eisenhower
12 George Cochran Doub 1953 1960
13 William H. Orrick Jr. 1961 1963 John F. Kennedy
14 John W. Douglas 1963 1966 John F. Kennedy
Lyndon B. Johnson
15 Barefoot Sanders 1966 1967 Lyndon B. Johnson
16 Edwin L. Weisl Jr. 1967 1969
17 William Ruckelshaus 1969 1970 Richard Nixon
18 L. Patrick Gray 1970 1972
19 Harlington Wood Jr. 1972 1973
20 Carla Anderson Hills 1973 1975
21 Rex E. Lee 1975 1977 Gerald Ford
22 Barbara A. Babcock 1977 1979 Jimmy Carter
23 Alice Daniels 1979 1981
24 Paul J. McGrath 1981 1985 Ronald Reagan
25 Richard K. Willard 1985 1988
26 John Bolton 1988 1989
27 Stuart M. Gerson 1989 1993 George H. W. Bush
28 Frank W. Hunger 1993 1999 Bill Clinton
29 David W. Ogden 1999 2001
30 Robert McCallum Jr. 2001 2003 George W. Bush
31 Peter Keisler 2003 2007
32 Gregory G. Katsas 2008 2009
33 Tony West 2009 2012 Barack Obama
34 Stuart F. Delery 2012 2014
- Benjamin C. Mizer (acting) 2014 2017
- Chad Readler (acting) 2017 2018 Donald Trump
35 Jody Hunt 2018 2020
- Ethan P. Davis (acting) 2020 2020
- Jeffrey Clark (acting) 2020 2021
- Brian Boynton (acting) 2021 present Joe Biden
Source:

Civil Rights Division

  • Kristen Clarke (2021–present)
  • Eric Dreiband (2018–2021)
  • John M. Gore (Acting 2017–2018)
  • Thomas E. Wheeler II (Acting 2017)
  • Vanita Gupta (Acting, 2014–2017)
  • Molly J. Moran (Acting 2014)
  • Jocelyn Samuels (Acting 2013–2014)
  • Thomas Perez, (2009–2013)
  • Grace Chung Becker (Acting 2008)
  • Wan J. Kim, (2005–2007)
  • R. Alexander Acosta (2003–2005)
  • Bradley Schlozman (Acting 2003)
  • Ralph F. Boyd Jr. (2001–2003)
  • William R. Yeomans (Acting 2001)
  • Bill Lann Lee (1997–2001)
  • Deval Patrick, (1994–1997)
  • James P. Turner (Acting 1993–94)
  • John R. Dunne(1990–1993)
  • James P. Turner (Acting 1989–1990)
  • William C. Lucas (Acting 1988–1989)
  • William Bradford Reynolds (1981–1988)
  • Drew S. Days, III (1977–1980)
  • J. Stanley Pottinger (1973–1977)
  • David Luke Norman (1971–1973)
  • Jerris Leonard (1969–1971)
  • Stephen J. Pollak (1968–1969)
  • John Michael Doar (1965 to 1967)
  • Burke Marshall (1961–1964)
  • Harold R. Tyler (1960–1961)
  • W. Wilson White (1957–1960)

National Security Division

Name President(s) Announcement Nomination sent
to the Senate
Confirmation
by the Senate
Sworn in Left office
Kenneth L. Wainstein George W. Bush March 13, 2006 September 21, 2006 September 28, 2006 March 30, 2008, to become Homeland Security Advisor (Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism)
J. Patrick Rowan June 19, 2008 September 26, 2008 October 3, 2008 January 20, 2009
David S. Kris Barack Obama January 22, 2009 February 11, 2009 March 25, 2009
Lisa Monaco March 17, 2011 June 28, 2011 July 1, 2011 March 8, 2013
John Demers Donald Trump, Joe Biden September 2, 2017 September 5, 2017 February 15, 2018 February 22, 2018 June 21, 2021
Matthew G. Olsen Joe Biden May 26, 2021 May 27, 2021 October 28, 2021 November 1, 2021 Incumbent

Environment and Natural Resources Division

  • Ernest Knaebel (1911–1916)
  • Ramsey Clark (1961–1965)
  • Jeffrey Clark (2018–2021)
  • Todd Kim (2021–present)

Justice Management Division

  • Jolene Ann Lauria

Tax Division

  • Robert H. Jackson (1936–1938)
  • Mabel Walker Willebrandt (1921–1929)

Office of Justice Programs

  • Jimmy Gurulé (1990-1992)
  • Laurie O. Robinson

Office of Legal Counsel

Name Years served Appointed by Notes
Angus D. MacLean 1933–1935 Franklin D. Roosevelt
Golden W. Bell 1935–1939 Franklin D. Roosevelt
Charles Fahy 1940–1941 Franklin D. Roosevelt
Oscar S. Cox 1942–1943 Franklin D. Roosevelt
Hugh B. Cox 1943–1945 Franklin D. Roosevelt
Harold W. Judson 1945–1946 Franklin D. Roosevelt
George T. Washington 1946–1949 Harry Truman
Abraham J. Harris 1950–1951 Harry Truman
Joseph C. Duggan 1951–1952 Harry Truman
J. Lee Rankin 1953–1956 Dwight Eisenhower Became Solicitor General in 1956.
W. Wilson White 1957 Dwight Eisenhower After a short tenure, selected to be first head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.
Malcolm R. Wilkey 1958–1959 Dwight Eisenhower
Robert Kramer 1959–1961 Dwight Eisenhower
Nicholas Katzenbach 1961–1962 John F. Kennedy
Norbert A. Schlei 1962–1966 John F. Kennedy
Frank H. Wozencraft 1966–1969 Lyndon Johnson
William H. Rehnquist 1969–1971 Richard Nixon Later nominated and confirmed as Associate, and subsequent Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Ralph E. Erickson 1971–1972 Richard Nixon
Roger C. Cramton 1972–1973 Richard Nixon
Antonin Scalia 1974–1977 Gerald Ford Later nominated and confirmed as Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.
John M. Harmon 1977–1981 Jimmy Carter
Theodore B. Olson 1981–1984 Ronald Reagan Later became U.S. Solicitor General.
Charles J. Cooper 1985–1988 Ronald Reagan
Douglas Kmiec 1988–1989 Ronald Reagan Later U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Malta during the "Arab Spring" uprisings.
William P. Barr 1989–1990 George H. W. Bush
Michael Luttig 1990–1991 George H. W. Bush
Timothy Flanigan 1991–1992 George H. W. Bush
Walter Dellinger 1993–1994 Bill Clinton Later became acting U.S. Solicitor General.
Beth Nolan 1995 acting Served as acting Assistant AG, OLC, while Deputy Assistant Attorney General. Nominated to become Assistant AG, OLC, but Senate did not vote on the nomination. Became White House Counsel in 1996.
Dawn Johnsen 1996–1998 acting
Randolph D. Moss 1998–2001 Bill Clinton Served as acting AAG from 1998 to 2000; nominated November 9, 1999; Recess-appointed August 3, 2000; confirmed by United States Senate December 15, 2000
Jay S. Bybee 2001 – March 2003 George W. Bush In charge when the OLC issued the Bybee memo and other Torture memos; appointed as a federal judge; started March 21, 2003
Jack Goldsmith October 2003 – June 2004 George W. Bush Later Professor at Harvard Law School and author of The Terror Presidency (2007)
Daniel Levin 2004–2005 acting
Steven G. Bradbury 2005–2009 acting Served as acting AAG 2005–2007 (nominated June 23, 2005; nomination approved by Senate Judiciary Committee but never voted on by full Senate), continued to function as senior appointed official in charge of OLC until January 20, 2009.
David J. Barron 2009–2010 acting Professor at Harvard Law School and served as Acting AAG from January 2009 to July 2010.
Jonathan G. Cedarbaum 2010–2011 acting Served as acting AAG, July–November 2010; continued to function as senior appointed official in charge of OLC until the end of January 2011.
Caroline D. Krass 2011 acting Senior appointed official leading OLC since the end of January 2011 until June 2011, when Virginia A. Seitz was confirmed.
Virginia A. Seitz 2011–2013 Barack Obama Confirmed by the Senate in a voice vote on June 28, 2011. Resigned effective December 20, 2013.
Karl R. Thompson 2014–2017 acting Appointed Principal Deputy AAG on March 24, 2014.
Curtis E. Gannon 2017 acting Appointed Principal Deputy AAG on January 20, 2017.
Steven Engel 2017–2021 Donald Trump
Christopher H. Schroeder 2021–2023 Joe Biden
Benjamin C. Mizer 2023 acting
Gillian E. Metzger 2023–2024 acting
Christopher Fonzone 2024–present Joe Biden

Office of Legal Policy

  • Viet D. Dinh (2001–2003)
  • Daniel J. Bryant (2003–2005)
  • Rachel Brand (2005–2007)
  • Elisebeth C. Cook (2008–2009)
  • Christopher H. Schroeder (2010–2012)
  • Beth Ann Williams (2017–2020)
  • Hampton Dellinger (2021–present)

Office of Legislative Affairs

  • Carlos Uriarte (August 2022 - Present)
  • Peter Hyun (November 2021 – August 2022; acting)
  • Helaine Greenfeld (January 2021 – November 2021; acting}
  • Stephen Boyd (August 2017 – January 2021)
  • Peter J. Kadzik (June 2014 – January 2017)
  • Judith C. Appelbaum (June 13, 2012–?)
  • Ronald H. Weich (April 29, 2009 – April 25, 2012)
  • Richard Hertling (2003–2007)
  • Daniel J. Bryant (2001–2003)
  • Robert Raben (1999–2001)
  • Jon Jennings Acting (1998–1999)
  • L. Anthony Sutin (1998)
  • John R. Bolton (1985–1989)
  • Robert A. McConnell (1981–1985)
  • Patricia Wald (1977–1979)
  • Michael Uhlmann (1975–1977)
  • Mitch McConnell (1975, acting)
  • W. Vincent Rakestraw (March 3, 1974 – February 1, 1975)
  • Mike McKevitt (1973)
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