US ATTORNEY GENERAL LIST

The US Attorney General is the chief law enforcement officer of the nation.

The attorney general of the United States serves in a Executive Branch position and is set to represent the government in litigation and to advise government agencies and officials in legal matters.

The list below begins with the most recent US Attorney General:

NAME ------ TERM ------ PRESIDENT

More US Attorney General:

NAME ------ TERM ------ PRESIDENT

William Barr - 1991-1993 - George H. Bush
Richard Thornburgh - 1988-1991 - Ronald Reagan & George H. Bush
Edwin Meese III - 1985-1988 - Ronald Reagan
William French Smith - 1981-1985 - Ronald Reagan
Benjamin R. Civiletti - 1979-1981 - Jimmy Carter
Griffin B. Bell - 1977-1979 - Jimmy Carter
Edward H. Levi - 1975-1977 - Gerald Ford
William B. Saxbe - 1974-1975 - Richard Nixon
Elliot L. Richardson - 1973 - Richard Nixon
Richard G. Kleindienst - 1972-1973 - Richard Nixon
John N. Mitchell - 1969-1972 - Richard Nixon
Ramsey Clark - 1967-1969 - Lyndon B. Johnson
Nicholas de B. Katzenbach - 1965-1966 - Lyndon B. Johnson
Robert F. Kennedy - 1961-1964 - John F. Kennedy
William P. Rogers - (1957-1961) - Dwight D. Eisenhower
Herbert Brownell Jr. - (1953-1957) - Dwight D. Eisenhower
James P. McGranery - (1952-1953) - Harry S. Truman
J. Howard McGrath - (1949-1952) - Harry S. Truman
Tom C. Clark - (1945-1949) - Harry S. Truman
Francis Biddle - (1941-1945) - Franklin D. Roosevelt
Robert H. Jackson - (1940-1941) - Franklin D. Roosevelt
Frank Murphy - (1939-1940) - Franklin D. Roosevelt
Homer S. Cummings - (1933-1939) - Franklin D. Roosevelt
William D. Mitchell - (1929-1933) - Herbert Hoover
John G. Sargent - (1925-1929) - Calvin Coolidge
Harlan Fiske Stone - (1924-1925) - Calvin Coolidge
Harry M. Daugherty - (1921-1924) - Warren G. Harding
A. Mitchell Palmer - (1919-1921) - Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Watt Gregory - (1914-1919) - Woodrow Wilson
James C. McReynolds - (1913-1914) - Woodrow Wilson
George W. Wickersham - (1909-1913) - William Howard Taft
Charles J. Bonaparte - (1906-1909) - Theodore Roosevelt
William H. Moody - (1904-1906) - Theodore Roosevelt
Philander C. Knox - (1901-1904) - William McKinley
John W. Griggs - (1898-1901) - William McKinley
Joseph McKenna - (1897-1898) - William McKinley
Judson Harmon - (1895-1897) - Grover Cleveland
Richard Olney - (1893-1895) - Grover Cleveland
William H.H. Miller - (1889-1893) - Benjamin Harrison
Augustus H. Garland - (1885-1889) - Grover Cleveland
Benjamin H. Brewster - (1881-1885) - Chester A. Arthur
Wayne MacVeagh - (1881) - James A. Garfield
Charles Devens - (1877-1881) - Rutherford B. Hayes
Alphonso Taft - (1876-1877) - Ulysses S. Grant
Edwards Pierrepont - (1875-1876) - Ulysses S. Grant
George H. Williams - (1871-1875) - Ulysses S. Grant
Amos T. Akerman - (1870-1872) - Ulysses S. Grant
Ebenezer R. Hoar - (1869-1870) - Ulysses S. Grant
William M. Evarts - (1868-1869) - Andrew Johnson
Henry Stanberry - (1866-1868) - Andrew Johnson
James Speed - (1864-1866) - Abraham Lincoln & Andrew Johnson
Edward Bates - (1861-1864) - Abraham Lincoln
Edwin M. Stanton - (1860-1861) - James Buchanan
Jeremiah S. Black - (1857-1860) - James Buchanan
Caleb Cushing - (1853-1857) - Franklin Pierce
John J. Crittenden - (1850-1853) - Millard Fillmore
Reverdy Johnson - (1849-1850) - Zachary Taylor
Issac Toucey - (1848-1849) - James K. Polk
Nathan Clifford - (1846-1848) - James K. Polk
John Y. Mason - (1845-1846) - James K. Polk
John Nelson - (1843-1845) - John Tyler
Hugh S. Legare - (1841-1843) - John Tyler
John J. Crittenden - (1841) - William Henry Harrison & John Tyler
Henry D. Gilpin - (1840-1841) - Martin Van Buren
Felix Grundy - (1838-1839) - Martin Van Buren
Benjamin F. Butler - (1833-1838) - Andrew Jackson & Martin Van Buren
Roger B. Taney - (1831-1833) - Andrew Jackson
John M. Berrien - (1829-1831) - Andrew Jackson
William Wirt - (1817-1829) - James Monroe & John Q. Adams
Richard Rush - (1814-1817) - James Madison
William Pinkney - (1811-1814) - James Madison
Caesar A. Rodney - (1807-1811) - Thomas Jefferson & Madison
John Breckenridge - (1805-1806) - Thomas Jefferson
Levi Lincoln - (1801-1805) - Thomas Jefferson
Charles Lee - (1795-1801) - George Washington & John Adams
William Bradford - (1794-1795) - George Washington
Edmund Randolph - (1789-1794) - George Washington

Here are the reasons why the job of the US Attorney General is so important.

The United States Attorney General is the head of the U.S. Department of Justice and serves as the chief law enforcement officer and chief lawyer of the federal government. The primary responsibilities and functions of the Attorney General include:

• Chief Law Enforcement Officer: The Attorney General oversees and coordinates federal law enforcement agencies, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The AG plays a crucial role in shaping and implementing federal law enforcement policies.
  
• Legal Adviser to the President and Executive Branch: The Attorney General provides legal advice to the President and the executive branch of the government. This involves interpreting the law, offering legal opinions, and ensuring that the actions of the government comply with the Constitution and other relevant laws.
• Legal Policy and Guidance: The Attorney General formulates and implements legal policies for the nation. This includes developing policies on criminal justice, civil rights, and other legal matters. The AG's decisions and policies can have a significant impact on the legal landscape of the country.
  
• Prosecution and Representation: The Attorney General represents the United States in legal matters and ensures that federal laws are enforced. The AG oversees the prosecution of cases and can intervene in legal proceedings on behalf of the government.
• Custodian of Federal Prisons: The Attorney General is responsible for the operation of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, which manages federal correctional institutions and oversees the incarceration of individuals convicted of federal crimes.
  

The importance of the U.S. Attorney General can be summarized as follows:

• Preservation of Rule of Law: The AG plays a critical role in upholding the rule of law by ensuring that the actions of the government are consistent with legal principles and the Constitution.
  
• Legal Guidance and Advice: By providing legal advice to the President and the executive branch, the AG helps in the formulation of sound and legally defensible policies.
• Enforcement of Federal Laws: The Attorney General is instrumental in the enforcement of federal laws, contributing to the safety and security of the nation.
• National Security: Through oversight of law enforcement and intelligence agencies, the AG plays a crucial role in safeguarding national security.
• Protection of Civil Rights: The AG is involved in protecting and promoting civil rights, ensuring equal justice under the law.

The U.S. Attorney General is a key figure in the American legal system, responsible for upholding the rule of law, ensuring the fair and just enforcement of federal laws, and providing legal guidance to the government.

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