Who is more powerful US attorney or Attorney General?
Asked by: Kayden Wilderman | Last update: October 9, 2025Score: 4.5/5 (1 votes)
United States Attorneys serve as the nation's principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General of the United States of America.
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.
What is the difference between the Attorney General and the US attorney?
The president appoints U.S. attorneys, who mainly serve as administrators. Assistant U.S. attorneys handle the bulk of the trial work. The U.S. attorney general, who is the chief law enforcement officer in the United States and the head of the Department of Justice, has supervisory responsibility over U.S. attorneys.
Do U.S. attorneys report to the Attorney General?
They serve under the oversight of the U.S. Attorney General and the Executive Office of United States Attorneys (EOUSA) , but they retain a significant level of independence.
How much power does a U.S. Attorney have?
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.
Guess Who's the Most Powerful Person In The Justice System
Does the FBI report to the U.S. Attorney General?
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.
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.
Can the president remove the attorney general?
U.S. Attorneys are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Like other presidential appointees, they can be removed by the President for any reason or for no reason, as long as it is not an illegal or improper reason.
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.
Is attorney general higher than Supreme Court?
Attorney general offices therefore play an active role before the Supreme Court. Collectively, they are the second most active litigant before the Court, behind only the U.S. government.
Who has the most power in the criminal justice system?
For someone arrested for a criminal offense, prosecutors are arguably the most powerful figures in the legal system. Prosecutors decide what, if anything, to charge—a decision that can be life-altering before and after a conviction.
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 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 U.S. Attorney General have to be a lawyer?
Does the U.S. Attorney General have to have a law degree and/or have passed a bar exam? Theoretically no. As long as you're appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, the job is yours. In practice, it's unlikely someone without a legal background would ever be appointed.
Who is over the FBI?
The FBI is led by a Director, who is appointed by the U.S. president and confirmed by the Senate for a term not to exceed 10 years. The current Director is Brian Driscoll (acting).
Can the president fire a US attorney?
Because they are Presidential appointees and not covered by standard civil service protections, U.S. Attorneys are subject to removal at the will of the President.
Can a president fire his vice president?
The Constitution of the United States gives Congress the authority to remove the vice president of the United States from office in two separate proceedings. The first one takes place in the House of Representatives, which impeaches the vice president by approving articles of impeachment through a simple majority vote.
Who can fire a governor?
A state legislature can impeach its governor and other state officials. Many local governments also have impeachment procedures.
Who controls the US Attorney General?
The attorney general is the lawyer appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate to lead the Department of Justice, known as the DOJ.
Who has power over the doj?
Organization. Under the leadership of the Attorney General of the United States, the Justice Department is composed of more than 40 separate component organizations and more than 115,000 employees.
Is the US attorney the same as the Attorney General?
A U.S. Attorney, or United States Attorney, is an official appointed by the Attorney General of the United States, to prosecute the laws on behalf of the United States (that is, “federal law”).
Who does the US Attorney General answer to?
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.
Can the president fire the FBI director?
Since 1976, directors serve a ten-year term unless they resign, die, or are removed, but in practice, since Hoover, none have served a full ten years, except Mueller who served twelve years with the leave of Congress. The director of the FBI can be removed from office by the president of the United States.
Is FBI higher than police?
If a crime is committed that is a violation of local, state, and federal laws, does the FBI “take over” the investigation? No. State and local law enforcement agencies are not subordinate to the FBI, and the FBI does not supervise or take over their investigations.