View source for Attorney General

{{Short description|Head of the US Department of Justice}}
{{pp-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox official post
| post = United States Attorney General
| flag = Flag of the United States Attorney General.svg
| flagborder = yes
| flagsize = 125
| flagcaption = Flag of the United States attorney general
| insignia = Seal of the United States Department of Justice.svg
| insigniasize = 125
| insigniacaption = Seal of the Department of Justice
| image = Attorney General Merrick Garland.jpg<!--Matt Gaetz 117th Congress portrait (crop).jpg-->
| imagesize = 
| incumbent = [[Merrick Garland]]<!--[[Matt Gaetz]]-->
| acting = 
| incumbentsince = March 11, 2021
| department = [[United States Department of Justice]]
| style = Mr. Attorney General (informal)<br>[[The Honourable#United States|The Honorable]] (formal)
| member_of = [[United States Cabinet|Cabinet]]<br>[[United States National Security Council|National Security Council]]<br>[[United States Homeland Security Council|Homeland Security Council]]
| reports_to = [[President of the United States|President]]
| seat = [[Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building]]<br>[[Washington, D.C.]]
| appointer = [[President of the United States|President]]
| appointer_qualified = with [[United States Senate|Senate]] [[advice and consent]]
| termlength = No fixed term
| constituting_instrument = {{usc|28|503}}
| formation = September 26, 1789
| first = [[Edmund Randolph]]
| succession = [[United States presidential line of succession|Seventh]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/3/19|title=3 U.S. Code § 19 – Vacancy in offices of both President and Vice President; officers eligible to act|access-date=November 7, 2018|archive-date=December 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181226123834/https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/3/19|url-status=live}}</ref>
| deputy = [[United States Deputy Attorney General|Deputy Attorney General]]
| salary = [[Executive Schedule|Executive Schedule, Level{{spaces}}I]]<ref name="UnitedStatesCode|5|5312">{{UnitedStatesCode|5|5312}}.</ref>
| website = {{URL|www.justice.gov/ag}}
}}

The '''United States attorney general''' ('''AG''') is the head of the [[United States Department of Justice]] (DOJ) and is the chief law enforcement officer of the [[federal government of the United States]]. The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the [[president of the United States]] on all legal matters. The attorney general is a statutory member of the [[Cabinet of the United States]].

Under the [[Appointments Clause]] of the [[United States Constitution]], the officeholder is nominated by the president of the United States, then appointed with the [[advice and consent]] of the [[United States Senate]]. The attorney general is supported by the Office of the Attorney General, which includes executive staff and several deputies.

[[Merrick Garland]] has been the United States attorney general since March 11, 2021.<ref>{{Cite news|url= https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/10/us/politics/merrick-garland-attorney-general-confirmation.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/10/us/politics/merrick-garland-attorney-general-confirmation.html |archive-date=December 28, 2021 |url-access=limited|title= Merrick Garland Is Confirmed as Attorney General|newspaper= The New York Times|date= March 10, 2021|last1= Benner|first1= Katie}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet |author=Justice Department |author-link=United States Department of Justice |user=TheJusticeDept |number=1370023440904716291 |date=March 11, 2021 |title=Judge Merrick Garland takes his oath of office as the 86th Attorney General of the United States as he is sworn in by Assistant Attorney General for Administration Lee Lofthus. https://t.co/2nbizdpTFp |language=en |access-date=December 13, 2022}}</ref>

On November 21, 2024, [[President-elect]] [[Donald Trump]]  named former Florida Attorney General [[Pam Bondi]] as his nominee to run the Justice Department.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Meyer |first1=Matt |title=Donald Trump has named former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as his new pick to run the Justice Department |url=https://edition.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-transition-news-11-21-24/index.html |access-date=21 November 2024 |publisher=CNN |date=22 November 2024 |quote=Trump’s new AG pick: President-elect Donald Trump has named former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as his new pick to run the Justice Department.}}</ref>

== Name ==
The title, "attorney general" is an example of a noun (''attorney'') followed by a [[postpositive adjective]] (''general'').<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Herz |first=Michael |date=2002 |title=Washington, Patton, Schwarzkopf and ... Ashcroft? |url=https://scholarship.law.umn.edu/concomm/771 |journal=Constitutional Commentary |access-date=May 31, 2019 |archive-date=May 31, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190531193854/https://scholarship.law.umn.edu/concomm/771/ |url-status=live }}</ref> "General" is a description of the type of attorney, not a title or rank in itself ([[General officer|as it would be in the military]]).<ref name=":1" /> Even though the attorney general (and the similarly titled [[Solicitor General of the United States|solicitor general]]) is occasionally referred to as "General" or "General [last name]" by senior government officials, this is considered incorrect in standard [[American English]] usage.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Garner |first=Bryan A. |title=LawProse Lesson #116: What's the plural form of attorney general? And what is the plural possessive? |url=https://abovethelaw.com/career-files/lawprose-lesson-116-whats-the-plural-form-of-attorney-general-and-what-is-the-plural-possessive/ |access-date=May 31, 2019 |website=Above the Law |date=May 2013 |language=en-US}}</ref> For the same reason, the correct American English plural form is "attorneys general" rather than "attorney generals".<ref name=":2" />

==History==
{{see also|United States Department of Justice#History}}
[[File:Seal of the United States Department of Justice.svg|thumb|left|upright=0.7|Seal of the Department of Justice]]

[[United States Congress|Congress]] passed the [[Judiciary Act of 1789]] which, among other things, established the Office of the Attorney General. The original duties of this officer were "to prosecute and conduct all suits in the [[Supreme Court of the United States|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".<ref>[[Judiciary Act of 1789]], section 35.</ref> Some of these duties have since been transferred to the [[United States Solicitor General|United States solicitor general]] and the [[White House Counsel|White House counsel]].

The [[United States Department of Justice|Department of Justice]] was established in 1870 to support the attorneys general in the discharge of their responsibilities.

The [[United States Secretary of State|secretary of state]], the [[United States Secretary of the Treasury|secretary of the treasury]], the [[United States Secretary of Defense|secretary of defense]], and the attorney general are regarded as the four most important [[Cabinet of the United States|Cabinet]] officials in the United States because of the size and importance of their respective departments.<ref>''Cabinets and Counselors: The President and the Executive Branch'' (1997). [[Congressional Quarterly]]. p. 87.</ref>

Attorney General is a [[Executive Schedule#Level I|Level{{spaces}}I position in the Executive Schedule]],<ref name="UnitedStatesCode|5|5312"/> thus earning a salary of [[US Dollar|US$]]221,400, as of January 2021.<ref name="Salary">{{Cite web|url=https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/pdf/2021/EX.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210123013351/https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/pdf/2021/EX.pdf |archive-date=January 23, 2021 |url-status=live|title=Salary Table No. 2021-EX Rates of Basic Pay for the Executive Schedule (EX)}}</ref>

==Presidential transition==
It is the practice for the attorney general, along with the other Cabinet secretaries and high-level [[Political appointments in the United States|political appointees of the president]], to tender a resignation with effect on the [[United States presidential inauguration|Inauguration Day]] (January 20) of a new president. The [[United States Deputy Attorney General|deputy attorney general]] is also expected to tender a resignation, but is commonly requested to stay on and act as the attorney general pending the [[Advice and consent#United States|confirmation by the Senate]] of the new attorney general.

For example, upon the inauguration of President [[Donald Trump]] on January 20, 2017, then-Attorney General [[Loretta Lynch]] left her position, so then-Deputy Attorney General [[Sally Yates]], who had also tendered her resignation, was asked to stay on to serve as the acting attorney general until the confirmation of the new attorney general [[Jeff Sessions]], who had been nominated for the office in November 2016 by then-[[President-elect of the United States|President-elect]] Donald Trump.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/trump-us-attorneys-233740 |title=Trump will allow U.S. attorneys to stay past Friday |date=January 17, 2017 |last=Gerstein |first=Josh |website=POLITICO |language=en |access-date=July 25, 2019 |archive-date=July 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190725210502/https://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/trump-us-attorneys-233740 |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Efn|Unusually for a transitional acting appointment, Yates was dismissed and replaced with another Acting Attorney General before Sessions was confirmed because she refused to defend an [[executive order]] of the incoming administration.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/meet-the-acting-attorney-general-fired-by-trump-and-accused-of-betraying-the-justice-department/2017/01/30/05d4478c-e750-11e6-80c2-30e57e57e05d_story.html|title=Who is Sally Yates? Meet the acting attorney general Trump fired for 'betraying' the Justice Department|last=Horwitz|first=Sari|date=January 30, 2017|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=July 25, 2019|archive-date=November 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129112033/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/meet-the-acting-attorney-general-fired-by-trump-and-accused-of-betraying-the-justice-department/2017/01/30/05d4478c-e750-11e6-80c2-30e57e57e05d_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref>|name=|group=}}

==List of attorneys general==
[[File:Flag of the United States Attorney General.svg|thumb|upright=0.7|Flag of the United States attorney general]]

===Parties===
{{legend2|{{party color|Federalist Party (United States)}}|[[Federalist Party|Federalist]]|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}} (4)
{{legend2|{{party color|Democratic-Republican Party (United States)}}|[[Democratic-Republican Party|Democratic-Republican]]|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}} (5)
{{legend2|{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}|Democratic|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}} (34)
{{legend2|{{party color|Whig Party (United States)}}|[[Whig Party (United States)|Whig]]|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}} (4)
{{legend2|{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}|[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}} (40)

===Status===
{{legend|#E6E6AA|Denotes service as [[Acting (law)|acting]] attorneys general before appointment or after resignation|border=black}}
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible" style="clear:right; text-align:center"
!No.
!Portrait
!Name
!Prior experience
!State of residence
!Took office
!Left office
!colspan=2 |[[President of the United States|President(s)]] 
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Federalist Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|1}}
|[[File:EdRand.jpg|75px]]
|[[Edmund Randolph]]
|Lawyer,
7th [[Governor of Virginia]]
|[[Virginia]]
|September 26, 1789
|January 26, 1794
!rowspan=3 style="background: {{Party shading/None}};" |
| rowspan="3" |[[George Washington]]
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Federalist Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|2}}
|[[File:William Bradford, AG.jpg|75px]]
|[[William Bradford (Attorney General)|William Bradford]]
|Lawyer, judge,
[[Attorney General of Pennsylvania]]
|[[Pennsylvania]]
|January 27, 1794
|August 23, 1795
|-
! style="background: {{party color|Federalist Party (United States)}};" rowspan="2" |{{color|white|3}}
| rowspan="2" |[[File:Charles Lee, AG.png|75px]]
| rowspan="2" |[[Charles Lee (Attorney General)|Charles Lee]]
| rowspan="2" |Lawyer,
Acting [[United States Secretary of State]]
| rowspan="2" |[[Virginia]]
| rowspan="2" |December 10, 1795
| rowspan="2" |February 19, 1801
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Federalist Party (United States)}};" |
|[[John Adams]]
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Democratic-Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|4}}
|[[File:Levi Lincoln, Sr.jpg|75px]]
|[[Levi Lincoln Sr.]]
|Lawyer,

Acting [[United States Secretary of State]],

7th [[Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts]],

Member of the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]] from [[Massachusetts]]'s [[Massachusetts's 4th congressional district|4th]] district
|[[Massachusetts]]
|March 5, 1801 ||March 2, 1805
|rowspan=3 style="background: {{party color|Democratic-Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=3 |[[Thomas Jefferson]]
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Democratic-Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|5}}
|[[File:John Breckinridge.jpg|75px]]
|[[John Breckinridge (U.S. Attorney General)|John Breckinridge]]
|Lawyer,

[[United States Senate|United States Senator]] from [[Kentucky]],

Speaker of the [[Kentucky House of Representatives]],

[[Attorney General of Kentucky]]
|[[Kentucky]]
|August 7, 1805
|December 14, 1806
|-
!rowspan=2 style="background: {{party color|Democratic-Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|6}}
|rowspan=2 |[[File:Rodneycaesara3.jpg|75px]]
|rowspan=2 |[[Caesar Augustus Rodney]]
| rowspan="2" |Lawyer,
Member of the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]] from [[Delaware]]'s [[Delaware's at-large congressional district|at-large]] district,

Member of [[Delaware General Assembly]]
|rowspan=2 |[[Delaware]]
|rowspan=2 |January 20, 1807
|rowspan=2 |December 10, 1811
|-
|rowspan=3 style="background: {{party color|Democratic-Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=3 |[[James Madison]]
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Democratic-Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|7}}
|[[File:Williampinkney (1).jpg|75px]]
|[[William Pinkney]]
|Lawyer,

[[United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom|United States Minister to the United Kingdom]],

3rd [[Attorney General of Maryland]],

Mayor of [[Annapolis, Maryland|Annapolis]],

Member of the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]] from [[Maryland]]'s [[Maryland's 3rd congressional district|3rd]] district
|[[Maryland]]
|December 11, 1811
|February 9, 1814
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Federalist Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|8}}
|[[File:Richard Rush engraving.png|75px]]
|[[Richard Rush]]
|Lawyer,

[[Pennsylvania Attorney General|Attorney General of Pennsylvania]]
|[[Pennsylvania]]
|February 10, 1814
|November 12, 1817
|-
!rowspan=2 style="background: {{party color|Democratic-Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|9}}
|rowspan=2 |[[File:Attorney General William Wirt.jpg|75px]]
|rowspan=2 |[[William Wirt (Attorney General)|William Wirt]]
| rowspan="2" |Lawyer,

[[United States Attorney]] for the [[List of former United States district courts#Virginia|District of Virginia]],

Member of the [[Virginia House of Delegates]] from [[Richmond, Virginia|Richmond City]]

6th Clerk of the [[Virginia House of Delegates]]
|rowspan=2 |[[Virginia]]
|rowspan=2 |November 13, 1817
|rowspan=2 |March 4, 1829
|style="background: {{party color|Democratic-Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|[[James Monroe]]
|-
|style="background: {{party color|Democratic-Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|[[John Quincy Adams]]
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|10}}
|[[File:John Macpherson Berrien, portrait by John Maier.png|75px]]
|[[John Macpherson Berrien]]
|Lawyer,

Judge of the Eastern judicial circuit of Georgia,

[[United States Senate|United States Senator]] from [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]
|[[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]
|March 9, 1829
|July 19, 1831
|rowspan=3 style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=3 |[[Andrew Jackson]]
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|11}}
|[[File:Roger Taney.jpg|75px]]
|[[Roger B. Taney]]
|Lawyer,

Acting [[United States Secretary of War]],

[[Attorney General of Maryland]]
|[[Maryland]]
|July 20, 1831
|November 14, 1833
|-
!rowspan=2 style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|12}}
|rowspan=2 |[[File:Chester Harding - Benjamin Franklin Butler - 1963.172 - Dallas Museum of Art.jpg|75px]]
|rowspan=2 |[[Benjamin Franklin Butler (lawyer)|Benjamin Franklin Butler]]
| rowspan="2" |Lawyer,

Member of the [[New York State Assembly]] from [[Albany County, New York|Albany County]],

[[District Attorney]] of Albany County
|rowspan=2 |[[New York (state)|New York]]
|rowspan=2 |November 15, 1833
|rowspan=2 |July 4, 1838
|-
|rowspan=3 style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=3 |[[Martin Van Buren]]
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|13}}
|[[File:Felix Grundy.jpg|75px]]
|[[Felix Grundy]]
|Lawyer,

[[United States Senate|United States Senator]] from [[Tennessee]],

Member of the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]] from [[Tennessee]]'s [[Tennessee's 3rd congressional district|3rd]] district and [[Tennessee's 5th congressional district|5th]] district,

Chief Justice of the [[Kentucky Court of Appeals]]
|[[Tennessee]]
|July 5, 1838
|January 10, 1840
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|14}}
|[[File:Henry D. Gilpin, Attorney General of the United States (trimmed).jpg|75px]]
|[[Henry D. Gilpin]]
|Lawyer,

[[Solicitor of the United States Treasury]],

[[U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania]]
|[[Pennsylvania]]
|January 11, 1840
|March 4, 1841
|-
!rowspan=2 style="background: {{party color|Whig Party (United States)}};" |15
|rowspan=2 |[[File:John Jordan Crittenden - Brady 1855.jpg|75px]]
|rowspan=2 |[[John J. Crittenden]]<br>{{small|''1st term''}}
| rowspan="2" |Lawyer,

22nd [[Secretary of State of Kentucky]],

[[United States Senate|United States Senator]] from [[Kentucky]]
|rowspan=2 |[[Kentucky]]
|rowspan=2 |March 5, 1841
|rowspan=2 |September 12, 1841
|style="background: {{party color|Whig Party (United States)}};" |
|[[William Henry Harrison]]
|-
|rowspan=3 style="background: {{party color|Whig Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=3 |[[John Tyler]]
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|16}}
|[[File:Hugh S. Legaré.jpg|75px]]
|[[Hugh S. Legaré]]
|Lawyer,

Member of the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]] from [[South Carolina]]'s [[South Carolina's 1st congressional district|1st]] district

Acting [[United States Ambassador to Belgium|United States Minister to Belgium]],

7th [[List of Attorneys General of South Carolina|Attorney General of South Carolina]]
|[[South Carolina]]
|September 13, 1841
|June 20, 1843
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Whig Party (United States)}};" |17
|[[File:John Nelson, bw photo portrait, Brady-Handy collection, circa 1855-1865.jpg|75px]]
|[[John Nelson (lawyer)|John Nelson]]
|Lawyer,

[[United States Ambassador to Italy|United States Chargé d'Affaires to the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies]],

Member of the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]] from [[Maryland]]'s [[Maryland's 4th congressional district|4th]] district
|[[Maryland]]
|July 1, 1843
|March 4, 1845
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|18}}
|[[File:JYMason.jpg|75px]]
|[[John Y. Mason]]
|Lawyer,

16th [[United States Secretary of the Navy]]

Judge of the [[United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia]],

Member of the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]] from [[Virginia]]'s [[Virginia's 2nd congressional district|2nd]] district
|[[Virginia]]
|March 5, 1845
|October 16, 1846
|rowspan=3 style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=3 |[[James K. Polk]]
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|19}}
|[[File:NClifford.jpg|75px]]
|[[Nathan Clifford]]
|Lawyer,

Member of the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]] from [[Maine]]'s [[Maine's 1st congressional district|1st]] district,

[[Maine Attorney General|Attorney General of Maine]],

Member of the [[Maine House of Representatives]],
|[[Maine]]
|October 17, 1846
|March 17, 1848
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|20}}
|[[File:Isaac Toucey - Brady-Handy.jpg|75px]]
|[[Isaac Toucey]]
|Lawyer,

33rd [[List of Governors of Connecticut|Governor of Connecticut]],

Member of the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]] from [[Connecticut]]'s [[Connecticut's at-large congressional district|at-large]] district and [[Connecticut's 1st congressional district|1st]] district
|[[Connecticut]]
|June 21, 1848
|March 4, 1849
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Whig Party (United States)}};" |21
|[[File:Reverdy Johnson.jpg|75px]]
|[[Reverdy Johnson]]
|Lawyer,

[[United States Senate|United States Senator]] from [[Maryland]]
|[[Maryland]]
|March 8, 1849
|July 21, 1850
|style="background: {{party color|Whig Party (United States)}};" |
|[[Zachary Taylor]]
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Whig Party (United States)}};" |22
|[[File:John Jordan Crittenden - Brady 1855.jpg|75px]]
|[[John J. Crittenden]]<br>{{small|''2nd term''}}
|Lawyer,

15th United States Attorney General (1841)

22nd [[Secretary of State of Kentucky]],

[[United States Senate|United States Senator]] from [[Kentucky]]
|[[Kentucky]]
|July 22, 1850
|March 4, 1853
|style="background: {{party color|Whig Party (United States)}};" |
|[[Millard Fillmore]]
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|23}}
|[[File:Caleb Cushing.jpg|75px]]
|[[Caleb Cushing]]
|Lawyer,

[[United States Ambassador to China|United States Minister to China]],

Member of the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]] from [[Massachusetts]]'s [[Massachusetts's 3rd congressional district|3rd]] district
|[[Massachusetts]]
|March 7, 1853
|March 4, 1857
|style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
|[[Franklin Pierce]]
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|24}}
|[[File:JSBlack-AG.jpg|75px]]
|[[Jeremiah S. Black]]
|Lawyer,

Justice of the [[Pennsylvania Supreme Court]]
|[[Pennsylvania]]
|March 6, 1857
|December 16, 1860
|rowspan=2 style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=2 |[[James Buchanan]]
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|25}}
|[[File:Edwin McMasters Stanton Secretary of War.jpg|75px]]
|[[Edwin Stanton]]
|Lawyer
|[[Pennsylvania]]
|December 20, 1860
|March 4, 1861
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|26}}
|[[File:Edward Bates - Brady-Handy.jpg|75px]]
|[[Edward Bates]]
|Lawyer,

Member of the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]] from [[Missouri]]'s [[Missouri's at-large congressional district|at-large]] district,

[[List of Attorneys General of Missouri|Attorney General of Missouri]]
|[[Missouri]]
|March 5, 1861
|November 24, 1864
|rowspan=2 style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=2 |Abraham Lincoln
|-
!rowspan=2 style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|27}}
|rowspan=2 |[[File:James Speed.jpg|75px]]
|rowspan=2 |[[James Speed]]
| rowspan="2" |Lawyer,

Member of the [[Kentucky House of Representatives]]
|rowspan=2 |[[Kentucky]]
|rowspan=2 |December 2, 1864
|rowspan=2 |July 22, 1866
|-
|rowspan=3 style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=3 |[[Andrew Johnson]]
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|28}}
|[[File:Stanberry-AttorGen.jpg|75px]]
|[[Henry Stanbery]]
|Lawyer,

[[Ohio Attorney General|Attorney General of Ohio]]
|[[Ohio]]
|July 23, 1866
|July 16, 1868
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|29}}
|[[File:William M. Evarts - Brady-Handy.jpg|75px]]
|[[William M. Evarts]]
|Lawyer
|[[New York (state)|New York]]
|July 17, 1868
|March 4, 1869
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|30}}
|[[File:EbenezerRHoar.jpg|75px]]
|[[Ebenezer R. Hoar]]
|Lawyer, judge
|[[Massachusetts]]
|March 5, 1869
|November 22, 1870
|rowspan=5 style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=5 |[[Ulysses S. Grant]]
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|31}}
|[[File:Amos T Akerman - crop and minor retouch.jpg|75px]]
|[[Amos T. Akerman]]
|Lawyer, teacher
|[[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]
|November 23, 1870
|December 13, 1871
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|32}}
|[[File:George Henry Williams - Brady-Handy - Restored & Cropped.jpg|75px]]
|[[George Henry Williams]]
|[[United States Senate|United States Senator]] from [[Oregon]]
3rd [[List of Chief Justices of the Oregon Supreme Court|Chief Justice of Oregon Supreme Court]]
|[[Oregon]]
|December 14, 1871
|April 25, 1875
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|33}}
|[[File:Edwards Pierrepont, Brady-Handy bw photo portrait, ca1865-1880.jpg|75px]]
|[[Edwards Pierrepont]]
|Attorney
[[United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York|U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York]]
|[[New York (state)|New York]]
|April 26, 1875
|May 21, 1876
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|34}}
|[[File:Alphonso Taft seated.jpg|75px]]
|[[Alphonso Taft]]
|31st [[United States Secretary of War]]
|[[Ohio]] 
|May 22, 1876
|March 4, 1877
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|35}}
|[[File:Hon. Charles Devens of Mass. Atty Gen. Hayes Cabinet.png|75px]]
|[[Charles Devens]]
|Judge of Massachusetts superior court
|[[Massachusetts]]
|March 12, 1877
|March 4, 1881
|style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|[[Rutherford B. Hayes]]
|-
!rowspan=2 style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|36}}
|rowspan=2 |[[File:Wayne MacVeagh - Brady-Handy.jpg|75px]]
|rowspan=2 |[[Wayne MacVeagh]]
| rowspan="2" |Lawyer,
[[United States Ambassador to Turkey|United States Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire]]
|rowspan=2 |[[Pennsylvania]]
|rowspan=2 |March 5, 1881
|rowspan=2 |December 15, 1881
|style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|[[James A. Garfield]]
|-
|rowspan=2 style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=2 |[[Chester A. Arthur]]
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|37}}
|[[File:BenjaminHBrewster.jpg|75px]]
|[[Benjamin H. Brewster]]
|[[Pennsylvania Attorney General|Attorney General of Pennsylvania]]
|[[Pennsylvania]]
|December 16, 1881
|March 4, 1885
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|38}}
|[[File:Augustus Hill Garland - Brady-Handy.jpg|75px]]
|[[Augustus Hill Garland|Augustus Garland]]
|Lawyer, 
[[United States Senate|United States Senator]] from [[Arkansas]],

11th [[List of governors of Arkansas|Governor of Arkansas]]
|[[Arkansas]]
|March 6, 1885
|March 4, 1889
|style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
|[[Grover Cleveland]]
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|39}}
|[[File:WHHMiller.jpg|75px]]
|[[William H. H. Miller]]
|Lawyer
|[[Indiana]]
|March 7, 1889
|March 4, 1893
|style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|[[Benjamin Harrison]]
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|40}}
|[[File:Richard Olney, Bain bw photo portrait, 1913.jpg|75px]]
|[[Richard Olney]]
|Lawyer
|[[Massachusetts]]
|March 6, 1893
|April 7, 1895
|rowspan=2 style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=2 |[[Grover Cleveland]]
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|41}}
|[[File:Jud Harmon.jpg|75px]]
|[[Judson Harmon]]
|Lawyer
|[[Ohio]]
|April 8, 1895
|March 4, 1897
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|42}}
|[[File:AssoJstcJMcK.jpg|75px]]
|[[Joseph McKenna]]
|Judge of the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit]],
Member of the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]] from [[California]]'s [[California's 3rd congressional district|3rd]] district
|[[California]]
|March 5, 1897
|January 25, 1898
|rowspan=3 style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=3 |[[William McKinley]]
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|43}}
|[[File:Griggs2.jpg|75px]]
|[[John W. Griggs]]
|Lawyer,
28th [[Governor of New Jersey]]
|[[New Jersey]]
|January 25, 1898
|March 29, 1901
|-
!rowspan=2 style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|44}}
|rowspan=2 |[[File:Philander Knox, bw photo portrait, 1904.jpg|75px]]
|rowspan=2 |[[Philander C. Knox]]
|rowspan=2 |Lawyer,

[[Assistant United States Attorney]] for the [[Western District of Pennsylvania]] (1876–1877),

President of the [[Pennsylvania Bar Association]]
|rowspan=2 |[[Pennsylvania]]
|rowspan=2 |April 5, 1901
|rowspan=2 |June 30, 1904
|-
|rowspan=3 style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=3 |Theodore Roosevelt
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|45}}
|[[File:WHMoody.jpg|75px]]
|[[William Henry Moody]]
|35th [[United States Secretary of the Navy]],
Member of the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]] from [[Massachusetts]]'s [[Massachusetts's 6th congressional district|6th]] district
|[[Massachusetts]]
|July 1, 1904
|December 17, 1906
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|46}}
|[[File:CJBonaparte.jpg|75px]]
|[[Charles Joseph Bonaparte|Charles Bonaparte]]
|Lawyer,
37th [[United States Secretary of the Navy]]
|[[Maryland]]
|December 17, 1906
|March 4, 1909
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|47}}
|[[File:GWWickersham.jpg|75px]]
|[[George W. Wickersham]]
|Lawyer
|[[New York (state)|New York]]
|March 4, 1909
|March 4, 1913
|style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|[[William Howard Taft]]
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|48}}
|[[File:James C. McReynolds - c1913.jpg|75px]]
|[[James Clark McReynolds|James C. McReynolds]]
|Lawyer
[[United States Assistant Attorney General]] (1903-1907)
|[[Tennessee]]
|March 5, 1913
|August 29, 1914
|rowspan=3 style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=3 |[[Woodrow Wilson]]
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|49}}
|[[File:WP Thomas Watt Gregory.jpg|75px]]
|[[Thomas Watt Gregory]]
|Lawyer
|[[Texas]]
|August 29, 1914
|March 4, 1919
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|50}}
|[[File:Alexander Mitchell Palmer.jpg|75px]]
|[[A. Mitchell Palmer]]
|Attorney,
Member of the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]] from [[Pennsylvania]]'s [[Pennsylvania's 26th congressional district|26th]] district
|[[Pennsylvania]]
|March 5, 1919
|March 4, 1921
|-
!rowspan=2 style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|51}}
|rowspan=2 |[[File:Harry Daugherty, bw photo portrait 1920.jpg|75px]]
|rowspan=2 |[[Harry M. Daugherty]]
|rowspan=2 | Lawyer

Member of the [[Ohio House of Representatives]] (1889−1893)

Republican Political Operative from Ohio
|rowspan=2 |[[Ohio]]
|rowspan=2 |March 4, 1921
|rowspan=2 |April 6, 1924
|style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|[[Warren G. Harding]]
|-
|rowspan=3 style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=3 |[[Calvin Coolidge]]
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|52}}
|[[File:Chief Justice Harlan Fiske Stone photograph circa 1927-1932.jpg|75px]]
|[[Harlan F. Stone]]
|Lawyer
Dean of [[Columbia Law School]] (1910-1923)
|[[New York (state)|New York]]
|April 7, 1924
|March 1, 1925
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|53}}
|[[File:John Sargent, Bain bw photo portrait.jpg|75px]]
|[[John G. Sargent]]
|Lawyer,
[[Vermont Attorney General|Attorney General of Vermont]]
|[[Vermont]]
|March 7, 1925
|March 4, 1929
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|54}}
|[[File:William D. Mitchell cph.3b30394.jpg|75px]]
|[[William D. Mitchell]]
|Attorney,
18th [[Solicitor General of the United States|United States Solicitor General]]
|[[Minnesota]]
|March 4, 1929
|March 4, 1933
|style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|[[Herbert Hoover]]
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|55}}
|[[File:Homer Cummings, Harris & Ewing photo portrait, 1920.jpg|75px]]
|[[Homer Stille Cummings]]
|[[Mayor of Stamford, Connecticut|Mayor of Stamford, Connecticut (1904–1906)]], State Attorney of [[Fairfield County, Connecticut|Fairfield County]] (1914–1924),
Chair of the [[Democratic National Committee]] (1919–1920)
|[[Connecticut]]
|March 4, 1933
|January 1, 1939
|rowspan=4 style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=4 |[[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|56}}
|[[File:Justice Frank Murphy.jpg|75px]]
|[[Frank Murphy]]
|[[Governor-General of the Philippines]] (1933–1935),
1st [[High Commissioner to the Philippines]] (1935–1936),

35th [[Governor of Michigan]] (1937–1939)
|[[Michigan]]
|January 2, 1939
|January 18, 1940
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|57}}
|[[File:Roberthjackson.jpg|75px]]
|[[Robert H. Jackson]]
|Lawyer,
[[United States Assistant Attorney General|United States Assistant Attorney General for the Tax Division]] (1936–1937),

[[United States Assistant Attorney General|United States Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division]] (1937–1938),

24th [[United States Solicitor General]] (1938–1940)
|[[New York (state)|New York]]
|January 18, 1940
|August 25, 1941
|-
!rowspan=2 style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|58}}
|rowspan=2 |[[File:Francis Biddle cph.3b27524.jpg|75px]]
|rowspan=2 |[[Francis Biddle]]
|
|rowspan=2 |[[Pennsylvania]]
|rowspan=2 |August 26, 1941
|rowspan=2 |June 26, 1945
|-
|Lawyer,
Deputy Chair of the Board of Directors of the [[Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia|Federal Reserve Bank of Pennsylvania]] (1938–1939),

Judge of the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit]] (1939–1940),

25th [[Solicitor General of the United States|United States Solicitor General]] (1940–1941)
|rowspan=4 style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=4 |Harry S. Truman
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|59}}
|[[File:Official portrait of Associate Justice Tom C. Clark, Supreme Court of the United States (cropped).jpg|75px]]
|[[Tom C. Clark]]
|Lawyer,
[[United States Assistant Attorney General#Criminal Division|United States Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division]] (1943–1945)
|[[Texas]]
|June 27, 1945
|July 26, 1949
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|60}}
|[[File:J. Howard McGrath.jpg|75px]]
|[[J. Howard McGrath]]
|Lawyer,
60th [[List of Governors of Rhode Island|Governor of Rhode Island]] (1941–1945),

27th [[Solicitor General of the United States|United States Solicitor General]] (1945–1946),

Chair of the [[Democratic National Committee]] (1947–1949),

[[United States Senate|United States Senator]] from [[Rhode Island]] (1947–1949)

|[[Rhode Island]]
|July 27, 1949
|April 3, 1952
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|61}}
|[[File:James P McGranery cropped.jpg|75px]]
|[[James P. McGranery]]
|Member of the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]] from [[Pennsylvania]]'s [[Pennsylvania's 2nd congressional district|2nd]] district (1937–1943),
Judge of the [[United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania]] (1946–1952)
|[[Pennsylvania]]
|April 4, 1952
|January 20, 1953
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|62}}
|[[File:Herbert Brownell.jpg|75px]]
|[[Herbert Brownell Jr.]]
|Member of the [[New York State Assembly]] from the 10th district (1933–1937),
Chair of the [[Republican National Committee]] (1944–1946)
|[[New York (state)|New York]]
|January 21, 1953
|October 23, 1957
|rowspan=2 style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=2 |Dwight D. Eisenhower
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|63}}
|[[File:William P. Rogers, U.S. Secretary of State.jpg|75px]]
|[[William P. Rogers]]
|Attorney,
4th [[United States Deputy Attorney General]] (1953–1957)
|[[New York (state)|New York]]
|October 23, 1957
|January 20, 1961
|-
! style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" rowspan="2" |{{color|white|64}}
| rowspan="2" |[[File:Bobby Kennedy - restored.jpg|75px]]
| rowspan="2" |[[Robert F. Kennedy]]
| rowspan="2" |Lawyer,

Chief counsel, [[United States Senate Select Committee on Improper Activities in Labor and Management|Senate Committee on Labor Rackets]] (1957–1959)
| rowspan="2" |[[Massachusetts]]
| rowspan="2" |January 20, 1961
| rowspan="2" |September 3, 1964
!style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" rowspan="1"|
|[[John F. Kennedy]]
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" rowspan="5" |
|rowspan="5" |Lyndon B. Johnson
|-
!rowspan=2 style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|65}}
|rowspan=2 |[[File:Nicholas Katzenbach at White House, 6 May 1968.jpg|75px]]
|rowspan=2 |[[Nicholas Katzenbach]]
|
|rowspan=2 |[[Illinois]]
| bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |September 4, 1964{{efn|name=dag-self|Served as acting attorney general in his capacity as [[United States Deputy Attorney General|deputy attorney general]], until his own appointment and confirmation as attorney general.}}
| bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |January 28, 1965
|-
|Lawyer,
7th [[United States Deputy Attorney General]] (1962–1965)
|January 28, 1965
|November 28, 1966
|-
!rowspan=2 style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|66}}
|rowspan=2 |[[File:Ramsey Clark at the White House, 28 Feb 1968.jpg|75px]]
|rowspan=2 |[[Ramsey Clark]]
|
|rowspan=2 |[[Texas]]
| bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |November 28, 1966{{efn|name=dag-self}}
| bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |March 10, 1967
|-
|[[United States Assistant Attorney General]] for the [[United States Department of Justice Environment and Natural Resources Division|Environment and Natural Resources Division]] (1961–1965),
8th [[United States Deputy Attorney General]] (1965–1967)
|March 10, 1967
|January 20, 1969
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|67}}
|[[File:John Mitchell.jpg|75px]]
|[[John N. Mitchell]]
|Lawyer
|[[New York (state)|New York]]
|January 20, 1969
|February 15, 1972
|rowspan=5 style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=5 |[[Richard Nixon]]
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|68}}
|[[File:Attorney General Richard Kleindienst.jpg|75px]]
|[[Richard Kleindienst]]
|Lawyer,
10th [[United States Deputy Attorney General]] (1969–1972)
|[[Arizona]]
|February 15, 1972
|April 30, 1973<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/3-top-nixon-aides-kleindienst-out-president-accepts-full-responsibility-richardson-will-conduct-new-probe/2012/06/04/gJQAx7oFJV_story.html|title=3 Top Nixon Aides, Kleindienst Out; President Accepts Full Responsibility; Richardson Will Conduct New Probe|last1=Stern|first1=Laurence|date=May 1, 1973|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=February 28, 2019|last2=Johnson|first2=Haynes|archive-date=March 1, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190301074640/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/3-top-nixon-aides-kleindienst-out-president-accepts-full-responsibility-richardson-will-conduct-new-probe/2012/06/04/gJQAx7oFJV_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|69}}
|[[File:ElliotLeeRichardson.jpg|75px]]
|[[Elliot Richardson]]
|Lawyer,
37th [[Massachusetts Attorney General|Attorney General of Massachusetts]] (1967–1969),

25th [[United States Under Secretary of State]] (1969–1970),

9th [[United States Secretary of Health and Human Services|United States Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare]] (1970–1973),

11th [[United States Secretary of Defense]] (Jan–May 1973)
|[[Massachusetts]]
|May 25, 1973<ref name=":0" />
|October 20, 1973
|- bgcolor="#E6E6AA"
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|–}}
|[[File:Robert Bork.jpg|75px]]
|[[Robert Bork]]{{efn|On October 20, 1973, [[United States Solicitor General|Solicitor General]] [[Robert Bork]] became acting attorney general following the "[[Saturday Night Massacre]]", in which [[U.S. Attorney General]] [[Elliot Richardson]] and [[United States Deputy Attorney General|Deputy Attorney General]] [[William Ruckelshaus]] both resigned.}}<br>{{small|Acting}}
|33rd [[Solicitor General of the United States]] (1973–1977)
|[[Pennsylvania]]
|October 20, 1973
|January 4, 1974
|-
!rowspan=2 style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|70}}
|rowspan=2 |[[File:WilliamBartSaxbe2.jpg|75px]]
|rowspan=2 |[[William B. Saxbe]]
|U.S. Senator from Ohio
|rowspan=2 |[[Ohio]]
|rowspan=2 |January 4, 1974
|rowspan=2 |February 2, 1975
|-
|[[List of Speakers of the Ohio House of Representatives|Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives]] (1953–1955),
[[Ohio Attorney General]] (1957–1959; 1963–1969),

[[United States Senate|United States Senator]] from [[Ohio]] (1969–1974)
|rowspan=2 style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=2 |[[Gerald Ford]]
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|71}}
|[[File:Edward Levi Attorney General.jpg|75px]]
|[[Edward H. Levi]]
|Dean of the [[University of Chicago Law School]] (1950-1962),

[[University of Chicago|7th President of the University of Chicago]]
|[[Illinois]]
|February 2, 1975
|January 20, 1977
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|–}}
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |[[File:Dick Thornburgh.jpg|75px]]
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |[[Dick Thornburgh]]{{efn|Served as acting attorney general in his capacity as [[United States Deputy Attorney General|deputy attorney general]], until the appointment of a new attorney general. Thornburgh later served as attorney general from 1988–1991.}}<br>{{small|Acting}}
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |[[United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania|United States Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania]] (1969–1975)
[[United States Department of Justice Criminal Division|United States Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division]] (1975–1977)
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |[[Pennsylvania]]
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |January 20, 1977
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |January 26, 1977
|rowspan=3 style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=3 |[[Jimmy Carter]]
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|72}}
|[[File:Griffin Bell -uglaw AG72 (cropped).tif|75px]]
|[[Griffin Bell]]
|Lawyer,
[[United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit|Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit]] (1961–1976)
|[[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]
|January 26, 1977
|August 16, 1979
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|73}}
|[[File:Benjamin Civiletti (1979).jpg|75px]]
|[[Benjamin Civiletti]]
|Assistant United States Attorney
[[United States Assistant Attorney General]] for the [[United States Department of Justice Criminal Division|Criminal Division]] (1977–1978)

17th [[United States Deputy Attorney General]] (1978–1979)
|[[Maryland]]
|August 16, 1979
|January 19, 1981
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|74}}
|[[File:Portrait officiel de William French Smith.jpg|75px]]
|[[William French Smith]]
|Lawyer,

Chairman of the [[Regents of the University of California|University of California Board of Regents]] (1970-1972, 1974-1975, 1976)
|[[California]]
|January 23, 1981
|February 25, 1985
|rowspan=3 style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=3 |[[Ronald Reagan]]
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|75}}
|[[File:Edwin Meese III Attorney General portrait (cropped1).jpg|75px]]
|[[Edwin Meese]]
|[[Counselor to the President]] (1981–1985)
|[[California]]
|February 25, 1985
|August 12, 1988
|-
!rowspan=2 style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|76}}
|rowspan=2 |[[File:Dick Thornburgh.jpg|75px]]
|rowspan=2 |[[Dick Thornburgh]]
|
Acting United States Attorney General (1977)

[[List of governors of Pennsylvania|Governor of Pennsylvania]] (1979–1987)
|rowspan=2 |[[Pennsylvania]]
|rowspan=2 |August 12, 1988
|rowspan=2 |August 15, 1991
|-
|
|rowspan=3 style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=3 |[[George H. W. Bush]]
|-
!rowspan=2 style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|77}}
|rowspan=2 |[[File:William Barr, official photo as Attorney General.jpg|75px]]
|rowspan=2 |[[William Barr]]<br>{{small|''1st term''}}
|rowspan=2|[[United States Assistant Attorney General]] for the [[Office of Legal Counsel]] (1989–1990)

[[United States Deputy Attorney General]] (1990–1991)
|rowspan=2 |[[Virginia]]
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |August 16, 1991{{efn|name=dag-self}}
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |November 26, 1991
|-
|November 26, 1991
|January 20, 1993
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|–}}
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA"|
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |[[Stuart M. Gerson]]{{efn|Served as acting attorney general in his capacity as [[United States Assistant Attorney General|Assistant Attorney General]] for the [[United States Department of Justice Civil Division|DOJ Civil Division]].<ref name=shot>{{cite web|author=Staff reporter|title=Stuart Gerson's Parting Shot|work=The New York Times|date=February 21, 1993|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE1DE1331F932A15751C0A965958260|access-date=December 12, 2008|quote=As supporters of the Brady gun-control bill prepare to introduce it in Congress yet again this week, they find a welcome, if unlikely, ally in Stuart Gerson, the Acting Attorney General. Because President Clinton has had so many problems finding a new Attorney General, Mr. Gerson remains in office{{spaces}}...}}</ref> Gerson was fourth in the line of succession at the Justice Department, but other senior DOJ officials had already resigned.<ref name=nyt>{{cite web|author=Labaton, Stephen |title=Notes on Justice; Who's in Charge? Bush Holdover Says He Is, but Two Clinton Men Differ|work=The New York Times|date=January 25, 1993 |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE3DF1F38F936A15752C0A965958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all|access-date=December 12, 2008}}</ref> [[Janet Reno]], President Clinton's nominee for attorney general, was confirmed on March 12,<ref name=reno>{{cite web|author=Ifill, Gwen|title=Reno Confirmed in Top Justice Job|work=The New York Times |date=March 12, 1993|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CEED71130F931A25750C0A965958260|access-date=December 12, 2008|quote=She will replace Acting Attorney General Stuart M. Gerson, a holdover appointee from the Bush Administration. Ms. Reno said he resigned today.}}</ref> and he resigned the same day.<ref name=reno/>}}<br>{{small|Acting}}
| bgcolor="#e6e6aa" |[[United States Department of Justice Civil Division|United States Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division]] (1989–1993)
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |[[Washington, D.C.]]
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |January 20, 1993
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |March 12, 1993
|rowspan=2 style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=2 |[[Bill Clinton]]
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|78}}
|[[File:Janet Reno-us-Portrait.jpg|75px]]
|[[Janet Reno]]
|Attorney,
State Attorney for [[Miami-Dade County, Florida|Miami-Dade County]] (1978–1993)
|[[Florida]]
|March 12, 1993
|January 20, 2001
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|–}}
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |[[File:HolderEric.jpg|75px]]
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |[[Eric Holder]]{{efn|Served as acting attorney general in his capacity as [[United States Deputy Attorney General|deputy attorney general]], until the appointment of a new attorney general. Holder later served as attorney general from 2009–2015.}}<br>{{small|Acting}}
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |[[United States Deputy Attorney General]] (1997–2001)

[[United States Attorney for the District of Columbia]] (1993–1997)

Judge of the [[Superior Court of the District of Columbia]] (1988–1993)
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |[[Washington, D.C.]]
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |January 20, 2001
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |February 2, 2001
|rowspan=6 style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=6 |George W. Bush
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|79}}
|[[File:John Ashcroft.jpg|75px]]
|[[John Ashcroft]]
|38th [[Attorney General of Missouri]] (1977–1983)
50th [[Governor of Missouri]] (1985–1993)

[[United States Senate|United States Senator]] from Missouri (1995–2001)
|[[Missouri]]
|February 2, 2001
|February 3, 2005
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|80}}
|[[File:Alberto Gonzales - official DoJ photograph.jpg|75px]]
|[[Alberto Gonzales]]
|100th [[Secretary of State of Texas]] (1998–1999)
Associate Justice of the [[Supreme Court of Texas]] (1999–2001)
[[White House Counsel]] (2001–2005)
|[[Texas]]
|February 3, 2005
|September 17, 2007
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|–}}
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |[[File:Paul D. Clement.jpg|75px]]
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |[[Paul Clement]]{{efn|name=clement-keisler|On August 27, 2007, President Bush named Solicitor General [[Paul Clement]] as the future acting attorney general, to take office upon the resignation of [[Alberto Gonzales]], effective September 17, 2007.<ref>{{cite news |first=Steven Lee |last=Meyers |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/27/washington/27cnd-gonzales.html?_r=1&hp=&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1188217220-bs39MOr+UJpRTDAYWymL9g |title=Embattled Attorney General Resigns |work=The New York Times |access-date=August 27, 2007 |date=August 27, 2007 |archive-date=May 10, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510021210/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/27/washington/27cnd-gonzales.html?_r=1&hp=&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1188217220-bs39MOr%20UJpRTDAYWymL9g |url-status=live }}</ref> On September 17, President Bush announced that [[United States Assistant Attorney General|Assistant Attorney General]] for the [[United States Department of Justice Civil Division|DOJ Civil Division]] [[Peter Keisler]] would become acting attorney general, pending a permanent appointment of a presidential nominee.<ref>[https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2007/09/20070917-4.html "President Bush Announces Judge Michael Mukasey as Nominee for Attorney General"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171111041805/https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2007/09/20070917-4.html |date=November 11, 2017 }}, White House press release, September 17, 2007</ref><ref name='NYTimes-Associated Press-Bush Text-2007-09-17'>{{cite news |agency=[[The Associated Press]] |title=Bush Text on Attorney General Nomination |date=September 17, 2007 |work=NewsOK.com |publisher=[[The Oklahoman]] |url=http://newsok.com/bush-text-on-attorney-general-nomination/article/3128043 |access-date=September 18, 2007 |archive-date=February 3, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203012225/http://newsok.com/bush-text-on-attorney-general-nomination/article/3128043 |url-status=live }}</ref> According to administration officials, Clement became acting attorney general at 12:01{{spaces}}am September 17, 2007, and left office 24 hours later.<ref name='WPost-Eggen-2007-09-19'>{{cite news |first= Dan |last= Eggen |author2= Elizabeth Williamson |title= Democrats May Tie Confirmation to Gonzales Papers |date= September 19, 2007 |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/18/AR2007091801379.html?nav=rss_politics |newspaper= [[The Washington Post]] |pages= A10 |access-date= September 19, 2007 |archive-date= April 4, 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120404130102/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/18/AR2007091801379.html?nav=rss_politics |url-status= live }}</ref> Keisler served as acting attorney general until the confirmation of [[Michael Mukasey]] on November 9, 2007.}}<br>{{small|Acting}}
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |Lawyer,
[[Solicitor General of the United States|United States Principal Deputy Solicitor General]] (2001–2004)

43rd [[Solicitor General of the United States|United States Solicitor General]] (2004–2008) 
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |Washington, D.C.
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |September 17, 2007
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |September 18, 2007
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|–}}
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |[[File:peterkeisler.jpg|75px]]
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |[[Peter Keisler]]{{efn|name=clement-keisler}}<br>{{small|Acting}}
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |Acting [[United States Associate Attorney General]] (2002–2003)
[[United States Assistant Attorney General]] for the [[United States Department of Justice Civil Division|Civil Division]] (2003–2007)
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |Washington, D.C.
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |September 18, 2007
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |November 9, 2007
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|81}}
|[[File:Michael Mukasey, official AG photo portrait, 2007.jpg|75px]]
|[[Michael Mukasey]]
|Attorney,
Chief Judge of the [[United States District Court for the Southern District of New York]] (2000–2006)

Senior Judge of the [[United States District Court for the Southern District of New York]] (2006)
|[[New York (state)|New York]]
|November 9, 2007
|January 20, 2009
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|–}}
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |[[File:Mark Filip.jpg|75px]]
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |[[Mark Filip]]<br>{{small|Acting}}
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |Lawyer,
Judge of the [[United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois]] (2004–2008)

33rd [[United States Deputy Attorney General]] (2008–2009)
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |[[Illinois]]
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |January 20, 2009
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |February 3, 2009
|rowspan=3 style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=3 |[[Barack Obama]]
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|82}}
|[[File:Eric Holder official portrait (cropped).jpg|75px]]
|[[Eric Holder]]
|Judge of the [[Superior Court of the District of Columbia]] (1988–1993)

[[United States Attorney for the District of Columbia]] (1993–1997)

[[United States Deputy Attorney General]] (1997–2001)

Acting United States Attorney General (2001)
|[[Washington, D.C.]]
|February 3, 2009
|April 27, 2015
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|83}}
|[[File:Loretta Lynch, official portrait (cropped).jpg|75px]]
|[[Loretta Lynch]]
|[[United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York]] (1999–2001, 2010–2015)

Member of the Board of the [[Federal Reserve Bank of New York]] (2003–2005)
|[[New York (state)|New York]]
|April 27, 2015
|January 20, 2017
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|–}}
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |[[File:Sally Q. Yates (cropped).jpg|75px]]
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |[[Sally Yates]]{{efn|Served as acting attorney general in her capacity as [[United States Deputy Attorney General|deputy attorney general]], until she was fired after saying the Department of Justice would not defend an [[executive order]] in court.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/30/politics/donald-trump-immigration-order-department-of-justice/index.html |title=Trump fires acting AG after she declines to defend travel ban |first1=Evan |last1=Perez |first2=Jeremy |last2=Diamond |publisher=CNN |date=January 30, 2017 |access-date=March 12, 2018 |archive-date=May 2, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190502120103/https://www.cnn.com/2017/01/30/politics/donald-trump-immigration-order-department-of-justice/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref>}}<br>{{small|Acting}}
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |Lawyer,
[[United States Attorney]] for the [[Northern District of Georgia]] (2010–2015)

36th [[United States Deputy Attorney General]] (2015–2017)
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |[[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |January 20, 2017
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |January 30, 2017
|rowspan=7 style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|rowspan=7 |[[Donald Trump]]
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|–}}
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |[[File:Dana Boente (cropped).jpg|75px]]
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |[[Dana Boente]]<br>{{small|Acting}}
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |Attorney,
[[United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia]] (2013–2018)
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |[[Virginia (U.S. state)|Virginia]]
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |January 30, 2017
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |February 9, 2017
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|84}}
|[[File:Jeff Sessions, official portrait (cropped).jpg|75px]]
|[[Jeff Sessions]]
|[[List of United States senators from Alabama|United States Senator from Alabama]] (1997–2017)

[[Attorney General of Alabama]] (1995–1997)

[[United States Attorney]] for the [[Southern District of Alabama]] (1981–1993)
|[[Alabama]]
|February 9, 2017
|November 7, 2018
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|–}}
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" | [[File:Rod Rosenstein official portrait 2.jpg|75px]] 
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" | [[Rod Rosenstein]]<br>{{small|Acting}}{{efn|Following the resignation of [[Jeff Sessions]] as attorney general at the request of President [[Donald Trump]], Rosenstein served as acting attorney general in his capacity as [[United States Deputy Attorney General|deputy attorney general]] for a few hours on November 7, 2018 until President [[Donald Trump]] signed an executive order naming [[Matthew Whitaker]] as acting attorney general later that day.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Blitzer|first=Ronn |date=November 7, 2018|title=Attorney General Jeff Sessions is Out. Here’s What Could Happen Next.|url=https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/attorney-general-jeff-sessions-is-out-heres-what-could-happen-next/|access-date=September 18, 2024|website=Law & Crime|language=en-US}}</ref>}} 
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" | Attorney,

[[United States Attorney]] for the [[United States District Court for the District of Maryland|District of Maryland]] (2005–2017)

[[United States Deputy Attorney General]] (2017–2019)
|bgcolor="#E6E6AA" | [[Maryland]]
| colspan=2 align=center bgcolor="#E6E6AA" | November 7, 2018
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|–}}
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |[[File:Matthew G. Whitaker official photo (cropped).jpg|75px]]
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |[[Matthew Whitaker]]<br>{{small|Acting}}{{efn|name=MW-constitution|The legality of Matthew Whitaker's appointment as acting attorney general was [[Matthew Whitaker#Legality and constitutionality of the appointment|called into question]] by several constitutional scholars. Among those included [[Neal K. Katyal|Neal Katyal]] and [[George T. Conway III]], who asserted it is unconstitutional, because the Attorney General is a principal officer under the [[Appointments Clause]], and thus requires senate consent, even in an acting capacity.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/08/opinion/trump-attorney-general-sessions-unconstitutional.html|title=Opinion {{!}} Trump's Appointment of the Acting Attorney General Is Unconstitutional|work=The New York Times|date=November 8, 2018|access-date=November 15, 2018|language=en|last1=Katyal|first1=Neal K.|archive-date=June 4, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230604134431/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/08/opinion/trump-attorney-general-sessions-unconstitutional.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Maryland filed an [[injunction]] against Whitaker's appointment on this basis.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2018/11/12/667180873/maryland-says-matthew-whitaker-appointment-as-acting-attorney-general-is-unlawfu?t=1542261595420|title=Maryland Says Matthew Whitaker Appointment As Acting Attorney General Is Unlawful|work=NPR.org|access-date=November 15, 2018|language=en|archive-date=November 16, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116000748/https://www.npr.org/2018/11/12/667180873/maryland-says-matthew-whitaker-appointment-as-acting-attorney-general-is-unlawfu?t=1542261595420|url-status=live}}</ref> John E. Bies at ''[[Lawfare (website)|Lawfare]]'' regarded it as an unresolved question.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.lawfaremedia.org/matthew-whitakers-appointment-acting-attorney-general-three-lingering-questions|title=Matthew Whitaker's Appointment as Acting Attorney General: Three Lingering Questions|date=November 8, 2018|work=[[Lawfare (website)|Lawfare]]|access-date=November 15, 2018|language=en|archive-date=November 16, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116053532/https://www.lawfaremedia.org/matthew-whitakers-appointment-acting-attorney-general-three-lingering-questions|url-status=live}}</ref> The DOJ [[Office of Legal Counsel]] released a legal opinion, asserting that the appointment was legal and consistent with past precedent.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/11/14/politics/whitaker-justice-mueller/index.html|title=DOJ says Whitaker's appointment as acting attorney general is constitutional|first=Laura|last=Jarrett|work=CNN|access-date=November 15, 2018|archive-date=November 14, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181114210624/https://edition.cnn.com/2018/11/14/politics/whitaker-justice-mueller/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref>}}
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |Lawyer,
[[United States Attorney]] for the [[United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa|Southern District of Iowa]] (2004–2009)

Chief of Staff to the Attorney General (2017–2018)
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |[[Iowa]]
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |November 7, 2018
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |February 14, 2019
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|85}}
|[[File:William Barr (cropped).jpg|75px]]
|[[William Barr]]<br>{{small|''2nd term''}}
|77th United States Attorney General (1991–1993)

[[United States Deputy Attorney General]] (1990–1991)

[[United States Assistant Attorney General]] for the [[Office of Legal Counsel]] (1989–1990)
|[[Virginia (U.S. state)|Virginia]]
|February 14, 2019
|December 23, 2020
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|–}}
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |[[File:Jeff Rosen official DOJ portrait (cropped).jpg|75px]]
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |[[Jeffrey A. Rosen]]<br>{{small|Acting}}
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |Lawyer
12th [[United States Deputy Secretary of Transportation|Deputy Secretary of Transportation]] (2017–2019)

38th [[United States Deputy Attorney General|Deputy Attorney General]] (2019–2020)
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |[[Massachusetts]]
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |December 24, 2020
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |January 20, 2021
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|–}}
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |[[File:John Demers official photo.png|75px]]
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |[[John Demers]]<br />{{small|Acting}}{{efn|Served as acting attorney general in his capacity as Assistant Attorney General for the DOJ National Security Division for a few hours following the resignation of [[Jeffrey A. Rosen|Jeffrey Rosen]] at noon on January 20, 2021. President [[Joe Biden]] signed an executive order naming Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Human Resources and Administration [[Monty Wilkinson (lawyer)|Monty Wilkinson]] as acting attorney general later that day.<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/20/politics/justice-department-special-counsel-rosen-wilkinson/index.html|title= Trump's acting attorney general leaves without creating controversial special counsels|website= CNN}}</ref>}}
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |Lawyer
[[United States Assistant Attorney General|Assistant Attorney General]] for the [[National Security Division]] (2018–2021)
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |[[Massachusetts]]
| colspan=2 align=center bgcolor="#E6E6AA" | January 20, 2021
| rowspan="3" style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
| rowspan="3" |[[Joe Biden]]
|-
! style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|–}}
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |[[File:Monty Wilkinson DOJ official photo.jpg|75px]]
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |[[Monty Wilkinson (lawyer)|Monty Wilkinson]]<br>{{small|Acting}}
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |Lawyer
Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Human Resources and Administration (2019–2021)
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |[[Washington, D.C.]]
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |January 20, 2021
| bgcolor="#E6E6AA" |March 11, 2021
|-
!style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |{{color|white|86}}
|[[File:Attorney General Merrick Garland.jpg|75px]]
|[[Merrick Garland]]
|Chief Judge of the [[United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit]] (2013–2020)

Judge of the [[United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit]] (1997–2021)
|[[Maryland]]
|March 11, 2021
|''Incumbent''
|}

==Line of succession==
[[Title 28 of the United States Code|U.S.C. Title 28]], §508 establishes the first two positions in the line of succession, while allowing the attorney general to designate other high-ranking officers of the Department of Justice as subsequent successors.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2016-title28/html/USCODE-2016-title28-partII-chap31-sec508.htm|title=U.S.C. Title 28 – JUDICIARY AND JUDICIAL PROCEDURE|website=www.gpo.gov|access-date=June 14, 2018|archive-date=June 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180615032226/https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2016-title28/html/USCODE-2016-title28-partII-chap31-sec508.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Furthermore, an [[Executive order|Executive Order]] defines subsequent positions, the most recent from March 31, 2017, signed by President Donald Trump.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2017/04/05/2017-06971/providing-an-order-of-succession-within-the-department-of-justice|title=Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Justice|date=April 5, 2017|work=Federal Register|access-date=June 14, 2018|archive-date=April 5, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170405143719/https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2017/04/05/2017-06971/providing-an-order-of-succession-within-the-department-of-justice|url-status=live}}</ref> The current line of succession is:

#[[United States Deputy Attorney General]]
#[[United States Associate Attorney General]]
#Other officers potentially designated by the attorney general (in no particular order):
#*[[Solicitor General of the United States]]
#*Assistant Attorney General, [[United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division|Antitrust Division]]
#*Assistant Attorney General, [[United States Department of Justice Civil Division|Civil Division]]
#*Assistant Attorney General, [[United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division|Civil Rights Division]]
#*Assistant Attorney General, [[United States Department of Justice Criminal Division|Criminal Division]]
#*Assistant Attorney General, [[United States Department of Justice National Security Division|National Security Division]]
#*Assistant Attorney General, [[United States Department of Justice Environment and Natural Resources Division|Environment and Natural Resources Division]]
#*Assistant Attorney General, [[United States Department of Justice Justice Management Division|Justice Management Division]]
#*Assistant Attorney General, [[United States Department of Justice Tax Division|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, [[U.S. Department of Justice Office of Legislative Affairs|Office of Legislative Affairs]]
#[[United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia]]
#[[United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina]]
#[[United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas]]

==Notable figures==

* First Italian American male: [[Charles Joseph Bonaparte]] in 1906<ref>{{Cite book |last1=LaGumina |first1=Salvatore J. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JUyAAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA66 |title=The Italian American Experience: An Encyclopedia |last2=Cavaioli |first2=Frank J. |last3=Primeggia |first3=Salvatore |last4=Varacalli |first4=Joseph A. |date=2003-09-02 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-135-58333-0 |language=en}}</ref>
* First Jewish American male: [[Edward H. Levi]] in 1975<ref>{{Cite web |title=#05-591: 11-03-05 NEW AWARD CREATED TO HONOR FORMER ATTORNEY GENERAL EDWARD H. LEVI |url=https://www.justice.gov/archive/opa/pr/2005/November/05_opa_591.html |access-date=2018-12-11 |website=www.justice.gov}}</ref>
* First female: [[Janet Reno]] in 1993<ref>{{Cite book |last=Magill |first=Frank N. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xqvpudh8dasC&pg=PA3153 |title=The 20th Century O-Z: Dictionary of World Biography |date=2013-05-13 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=9781136593697 |language=en}}</ref>
* First Hispanic American male: [[Alberto Gonzales]] in 2005<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alberto Gonzales becomes first Hispanic U.S. attorney general {{!}} February 3, 2005 |url=https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/gonzales-becomes-first-hispanic-u-s-attorney-general |access-date=2024-05-18 |website=HISTORY |language=en}}</ref>
* First African American male: [[Eric Holder]] in 2009<ref name=":7">{{Cite book |last1=Rennison |first1=Callie Marie |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jvqcDQAAQBAJ&pg=PT439 |title=Introduction to Criminal Justice: Systems, Diversity, and Change |last2=Dodge |first2=Mary |date=2016-12-01 |publisher=SAGE Publications |isbn=9781506347745}}</ref>
* First African American female: [[Loretta Lynch]] in 2015<ref>{{Cite web |last=Prater |first=Nia |date=January 12, 2017 |title=Loretta Lynch Bids Farewell to Justice Department |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2017-01-12/loretta-lynch-bids-farewell-to-justice-department |website=U.S. News}}</ref>

==See also==
*{{ExecutiveOrder|13787}} for "Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Justice"

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-prec|usa}}
{{s-bef
| before = [[Lloyd Austin]]
| as = [[United States Secretary of Defense|Secretary of Defense]]
}}
{{s-ttl
| title = [[United States order of precedence|Order of precedence of the United States]]<br>''{{small|as Attorney General}}''
| years = 
}}
{{s-aft
| after = [[Deb Haaland]]
| as = [[United States Secretary of the Interior|Secretary of the Interior]]
}}
|-
{{s-prec|us-pres}}
{{s-bef
| before = [[United States Secretary of Defense|Secretary of Defense]]<br>{{small|[[Lloyd Austin]]}}
}}
{{s-ttl
| title = 7th in line
| years = 
}}
{{s-aft
| after = [[United States Secretary of the Interior|Secretary of the Interior]]<br>{{small|[[Deb Haaland]]}}
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Navboxes
|list =
{{USAttGen}}
{{DOJ agencies}}
{{US Cabinet leaders}}
{{US Presidential Line of Succession}}
{{Americas topic|title =Attorneys General of the Americas|prefix=Attorney General of}}
}}

[[Category:Attorneys general of the United States| ]]
[[Category:1789 establishments in the United States]]
[[Category:Cabinet of the United States|Attorney General]]
[[Category:Lists of members of the Cabinet of the United States|Attorneys-General]]