All states, territories and the District of Columbia appoint an attorney general as legal advisor to oversee state government agencies and serve as their legal advocate. Furthermore, this officeholder possesses vast legal powers that enable him or her to seek justice on behalf of citizens.
Notable Attorney Generals
1. Edwin Meese
Edwin Meese played an instrumental role in Ronald Reagan’s rise as part of the Republican movement conservative movement. He joined his presidential campaign full-time as senior policy advisor and later led its transition team.
After serving as California Secretary and Executive Assistant, Meese became Counsel to the President and then Attorney General. Today he still lectures and writes extensively on constitutional topics; additionally he holds The Heritage Foundation Ronald Reagan Chair as Chairman of its Center of Legal and Judicial Studies.
2. William French Smith
Smith was a soft-spoken New Englander who took an unassuming approach in Washington as attorney general, helping to infuse conservative beliefs into American life. He supported President Ronald Reagan’s agenda on crime and illegal drugs while steering the Justice Department towards loosening merger regulations.
But he infuriated civil rights groups by opposing mandatory busing to desegregate schools and hiring quotas as a measure against job discrimination. Although he submitted his resignation in January 1984, he stayed on to help Edwin Meese secure confirmation as successor.
3. Benjamin Civiletti
Ben Civiletti began his legal career at Venable, Baetjer and Howard law firm in Baltimore where he ultimately became partner and headed up its litigation department.
He joined President Jimmy Carter’s legal team as assistant attorney general of criminal division at Justice in 1977 and served as attorney general from 1979-1980.
Civiletti left his mark through setting guidelines on prosecuting federal crimes that provided clear legal policies for public attorneys general. Additionally, he made waves at the International Court of Justice when representing nations against each other in disputes between nations.
4. Elliot Richardson
Richardson was raised in Boston to serve his community, fighting in D-Day invasion and earning a Bronze Star medal. At Harvard Law School he became president of Harvard Law Review while clerking for Judge Learned Hand from U.S. Court of Appeals for Second Circuit and Justice Felix Frankfurter from Supreme Court.
As Attorney General, he refused to obey President Nixon’s directive to dismiss Watergate Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox and thus precipitating what became known as the Saturday Night Massacre.
5. John Mitchell
Mitchell gained notoriety as a municipal bond attorney before becoming close with Richard Nixon when their respective law firms merged. Mitchell managed Nixon’s 1968 and 1972 presidential campaigns before taking on his current post as attorney general 67th of Texas.
Mitchell supported two Supreme Court nominees who would later be judged unqualified, authorized unconstitutional wiretaps, and pursued litigation to prevent publication of the Pentagon Papers.
Mitchell was an intense figure who pipe-smoked throughout three days of testimony before the Watergate Committee, eventually being charged and indicted for his role in the Watergate scandal.
6. Griffin Bell
Griffin Bell became Georgia Attorney General during a period when society was in flux due to Brown v. Board of Education. As Attorney General, he helped moderate state policy on civil rights while spearheading Georgia’s approach to school desegregation through Sibley Commission recommendations.
Bell was an active community and national figure while serving as senior partner of Atlanta-based King and Spalding law firm, particularly during his years as author of “Taking Care of the Law (1982) and Footnotes in History (2008)”.
7. Richard Thornburgh
Richard Lewis “Dick” Thornburgh served two terms as Governor of Pennsylvania before being appointed United States Attorney General under both President Reagan and George H.W. Bush. Additionally, he taught at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government as well as serving as its Institute of Politics Director.
As Attorney General, Thornburgh led an aggressive attack on white-collar crime, winning convictions against savings and loan executives, defense contractors, and corrupt public officials. Additionally, he played an essential role in championing disability rights and access.
8. William P. Barr
Barr received his undergraduate and master’s degrees from Columbia University before joining Shaw Pittman Potts and Trowbridge law firm. From 1982-1983 he also served on President Ronald Reagan’s domestic policy council before returning to private practice in Washington D.C.
As the 77th attorney general, Barr was instrumental in responding to the Savings and Loan crisis; prosecuting those responsible for Pan Am 103 bombing; and creating new department policies including Attorney General Investigative Guidelines.
