How powerful is US Attorney General?
Asked by: Garland Ebert | Last update: December 16, 2025Score: 4.5/5 (19 votes)
The Attorney General represents the United States in legal matters generally and gives advice and opinions to the President and to the heads of the executive departments of the Government when so requested. In matters of exceptional gravity or importance the Attorney General appears in person before the Supreme Court.
Who is above the U.S. Attorney General?
The department is headed by the U.S. attorney general, who reports directly to the president of the United States and is a member of the president's Cabinet.
Is U.S. Attorney General above the Supreme Court?
The Attorney General is not above the Supreme Court. Probably the best way to explain the hierarchies in our constitutional government is to review the structure of our government as represented in the first 3 articles of the Constitution itself.
Can the President fire the U.S. Attorney General?
The new President may elect to keep or remove any U.S. attorney. They are traditionally replaced, collectively, only at the start of a new White House administration.
Is the attorney general above the FBI?
Within the U.S. Department of Justice, the FBI is responsible to the attorney general, and it reports its findings to U.S. Attorneys across the country. The FBI's intelligence activities are overseen by the Director of National Intelligence.
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How powerful is the US Attorney General?
The Attorney General represents the United States in legal matters generally and gives advice and opinions to the President and to the heads of the executive departments of the Government when so requested. In matters of exceptional gravity or importance the Attorney General appears in person before the Supreme Court.
Who has more power, the Attorney General or the Supreme Court?
The A.G. governs the enforcement of laws, the Chief Justice governs the court's processing of the law once a law is brought to the courts to be enforced. Neither Officer has more power over the other in that regard and only Congress can remove either and/or any Officer from its official capacity.
Do you need a law degree to be attorney general?
By tradition, persons appointed to the position of Attorney-General have been lawyers. Only two former attorneys-general have not been lawyers, most recently Dr Michael Cullen who held the post in 2005, and again from 2006.
How much does the U.S. Attorney General make a year?
As of Jan 21, 2025, the average annual pay for an Attorney General in the United States is $103,584 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $49.80 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,992/week or $8,632/month.
Who is the attorney general under Biden?
President-elect Joe Biden selected Garland for the position of United States attorney general, with news of the selection coming on January 6, 2021. He was formally nominated by Biden on January 20, after Biden took office.
How long does the US Attorney General serve?
Under the state Constitution, the Attorney General is elected to a four-year term in the same statewide election as the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Controller, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Insurance Commissioner.
Who assists the attorney general?
Office of the Associate Attorney General
This Office advises and assists the Attorney General and the Deputy Attorney General in formulating and implementing Departmental policies and programs pertaining to a broad range of civil justice, federal and local law enforcement, and public safety matters.
Who has more authority, FBI or CIA?
Great question. Lots of people get the CIA and FBI confused. The CIA's mission is to collect foreign intelligence overseas, where as the FBI addresses domestic issues. The CIA does not have law enforcement authority and does not collect information concerning the domestic activities of American citizens.
Does the Senate have to approve the Attorney General?
The President shall appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, an Attorney General of the United States. The Attorney General is the head of the Department of Justice.
Who controls the doj?
§§ 501 and 503), the Department of Justice (DOJ or the Department) is headed by the Attorney General of the United States. The Department was created to control federal law enforcement, and all criminal prosecutions and civil suits in which the United States has an interest.
Has anyone become lawyer without degree?
In four states, you can still take this non-law-school route to becoming a lawyer. Vermont, Washington, California, and Virginia all allow people to become lawyers by “reading the law,” which, simply put, means studying and apprenticing in the office of a practicing attorney or judge.
Was Kamala Harris an attorney general?
She was elected district attorney of San Francisco in 2003 and attorney general of California in 2010, and reelected as attorney general in 2014. Harris was the first woman, the first African American, and the first Asian American to hold each office.
Who can overrule a judge?
Most federal court decisions, and some state court rulings, can be challenged. The U.S. courts of appeals usually have the last word. The nation's 94 federal judicial districts are organized into 12 regional circuits, each of which has a court of appeals.
Can a president override the Supreme Court?
When the Supreme Court rules on a constitutional issue, that judgment is virtually final; its decisions can be altered only by the rarely used procedure of constitutional amendment or by a new ruling of the Court.
Is the doj higher than the FBI?
An agency of the United States Department of Justice, the FBI is a member of the U.S. Intelligence Community and reports to both the attorney general and the director of national intelligence.
Is the attorney general higher than the Supreme Court?
United States Supreme Court decisions directly affect attorney general offices' ability to enforce state laws and defend government officials' conduct. Attorney general offices therefore play an active role before the Supreme Court.
How powerful are US attorneys?
As chief federal law enforcement officers, U.S. attorneys have authority over all federal law enforcement personnel within their districts and may direct them to engage, cease or assist in investigations.