Federal Cabinet · Department of Justice
United States Attorneys General
Every individual who has led the U.S. Department of Justice as United States Attorney General — the current secretary, shown first with a “Currently serving” badge, followed by every former United States Attorney General. Cabinet secretaries are nominated by the President and confirmed by the United States Senate; each profile below records the appointment type (Senate-confirmed, acting, recess, or designated), the full span of service, and the external authority records that back every fact. The full machine-readable roster is published as a versioned JSON dataset for downstream researchers and language models.
- Currently serving
- 1
- Former secretaries
- 97
- Total
- 98
- Department
- U.S. Department of Justice
Currently serving1
Former secretaries97
- Pam BondiUnited States Attorney General · 2025–2026Senate-confirmedAppointed by Donald Trump
- John DemersUnited States Attorney General · 2021–2021Acting
- Merrick GarlandUnited States Attorney General · 2021–2025Senate-confirmed
- Monty WilkinsonUnited States Attorney General · 2021–2021Acting
- Jeffrey A. RosenUnited States Attorney General · 2020–2021Acting
- Matthew WhitakerUnited States Attorney General · 2018–2019Acting
- Dana BoenteUnited States Attorney General · 2017–2017Acting
- Jeff SessionsUnited States Attorney General · 2017–2018Senate-confirmed
- Sally YatesUnited States Attorney General · 2017–2017Acting
- Loretta LynchUnited States Attorney General · 2015–2017Senate-confirmed
- Mark FilipUnited States Attorney General · 2009–2009Acting
- Michael MukaseyUnited States Attorney General · 2007–2009Senate-confirmed
- Paul ClementUnited States Attorney General · 2007–2007Acting
- Peter KeislerUnited States Attorney General · 2007–2007Acting
- Alberto GonzalesUnited States Attorney General · 2005–2007Senate-confirmed
- Eric HolderUnited States Attorney General · 2001–2015Senate-confirmed
- John AshcroftUnited States Attorney General · 2001–2005Senate-confirmed
- Janet RenoUnited States Attorney General · 1993–2001Senate-confirmed
- Stuart M. GersonUnited States Attorney General · 1993–1993Acting
- William BarrUnited States Attorney General · 1991–2020Senate-confirmed
- Dick ThornburghUnited States Attorney General · 1988–1991Senate-confirmed
- Edwin MeeseUnited States Attorney General · 1985–1988Senate-confirmed
- William French SmithUnited States Attorney General · 1981–1985Senate-confirmed
- Benjamin CivilettiUnited States Attorney General · 1979–1981Senate-confirmed
- Griffin BellUnited States Attorney General · 1977–1979Senate-confirmed
- Edward H. LeviUnited States Attorney General · 1975–1977Senate-confirmed
- William B. SaxbeUnited States Attorney General · 1974–1975Senate-confirmed
- Elliot RichardsonUnited States Attorney General · 1973–1973Senate-confirmed
- Robert BorkUnited States Attorney General · 1973–1974Acting
- Richard KleindienstUnited States Attorney General · 1972–1973Senate-confirmed
- John N. MitchellUnited States Attorney General · 1969–1972Senate-confirmed
- Ramsey ClarkUnited States Attorney General · 1967–1969Senate-confirmed
- Nicholas KatzenbachUnited States Attorney General · 1965–1966Senate-confirmed
- Robert F. KennedyUnited States Attorney General · 1961–1964Senate-confirmed
- William P. RogersUnited States Attorney General · 1957–1961Senate-confirmed
- Herbert BrownellUnited States Attorney General · 1953–1957Senate-confirmed
- James P. McGraneryUnited States Attorney General · 1952–1953Senate-confirmed
- J. Howard McGrathUnited States Attorney General · 1949–1952Senate-confirmed
- Thomas Campbell ClarkUnited States Attorney General · 1945–1949Senate-confirmed
- Francis BiddleUnited States Attorney General · 1941–1945Senate-confirmed
- Robert H. JacksonUnited States Attorney General · 1940–1941Senate-confirmed
- Frank MurphyUnited States Attorney General · 1939–1940Senate-confirmed
- Homer Stille CummingsUnited States Attorney General · 1933–1939Senate-confirmed
- William D. MitchellUnited States Attorney General · 1929–1933Senate-confirmed
- John G. SargentUnited States Attorney General · 1925–1929Senate-confirmed
- Harlan F. StoneUnited States Attorney General · 1924–1925Senate-confirmed
- Harry Micajah DaughertyUnited States Attorney General · 1921–1924Senate-confirmed
- Alexander Mitchell PalmerUnited States Attorney General · 1919–1921Senate-confirmed
- Thomas Watt GregoryUnited States Attorney General · 1914–1919Senate-confirmed
- James Clark McReynoldsUnited States Attorney General · 1913–1914Senate-confirmed
- George Woodward WickershamUnited States Attorney General · 1909–1913Senate-confirmed
- Charles Joseph BonaparteUnited States Attorney General · 1906–1909Senate-confirmed
- William Henry MoodyUnited States Attorney General · 1904–1906Senate-confirmed
- Philander C. KnoxUnited States Attorney General · 1901–1904Senate-confirmed
- John W. GriggsUnited States Attorney General · 1898–1901Senate-confirmed
- Joseph McKennaUnited States Attorney General · 1897–1898Senate-confirmed
- Judson HarmonUnited States Attorney General · 1895–1897Senate-confirmed
- Richard OlneyUnited States Attorney General · 1893–1895Senate-confirmed
- William H. H. MillerUnited States Attorney General · 1889–1893Senate-confirmed
- Augustus Hill GarlandUnited States Attorney General · 1885–1889Senate-confirmed
- Benjamin H. BrewsterUnited States Attorney General · 1881–1885Senate-confirmed
- Wayne MacVeaghUnited States Attorney General · 1881–1881Senate-confirmed
- Charles DevensUnited States Attorney General · 1877–1881Senate-confirmed
- Alphonso TaftUnited States Attorney General · 1876–1877Senate-confirmed
- Edwards PierrepontUnited States Attorney General · 1875–1876Senate-confirmed
- George Henry WilliamsUnited States Attorney General · 1871–1875Senate-confirmed
- Amos T. AkermanUnited States Attorney General · 1870–1871Senate-confirmed
- Ebenezer R. HoarUnited States Attorney General · 1869–1870Senate-confirmed
- William M. EvartsUnited States Attorney General · 1868–1869Senate-confirmed
- Henry StanberyUnited States Attorney General · 1866–1868Senate-confirmed
- James SpeedUnited States Attorney General · 1864–1866Senate-confirmed
- Edward BatesUnited States Attorney General · 1861–1864Senate-confirmed
- Edwin M. StantonUnited States Attorney General · 1860–1861Acting
- Jeremiah S. BlackUnited States Attorney General · 1857–1860Senate-confirmed
- Caleb CushingUnited States Attorney General · 1853–1857Senate-confirmed
- Reverdy JohnsonUnited States Attorney General · 1849–1850Senate-confirmed
- Isaac TouceyUnited States Attorney General · 1848–1849Senate-confirmed
- Nathan CliffordUnited States Attorney General · 1846–1848Senate-confirmed
- John Y. MasonUnited States Attorney General · 1845–1846Senate-confirmed
- John NelsonUnited States Attorney General · 1843–1845Senate-confirmed
- Hugh S. LegaréUnited States Attorney General · 1841–1843Senate-confirmed
- John J. CrittendenUnited States Attorney General · 1841–1853Senate-confirmed
- Henry D. GilpinUnited States Attorney General · 1840–1841Senate-confirmed
- Felix GrundyUnited States Attorney General · 1838–1840Senate-confirmed
- Benjamin Franklin ButlerUnited States Attorney General · 1833–1838Senate-confirmed
- Roger B. TaneyUnited States Attorney General · 1831–1833Senate-confirmed
- John M. BerrienUnited States Attorney General · 1829–1831Senate-confirmed
- William WirtUnited States Attorney General · 1817–1829Senate-confirmed
- Richard RushUnited States Attorney General · 1814–1817Senate-confirmed
- William PinkneyUnited States Attorney General · 1811–1814Senate-confirmed
- Caesar Augustus RodneyUnited States Attorney General · 1807–1811Senate-confirmed
- John BreckinridgeUnited States Attorney General · 1805–1806Senate-confirmed
- Robert SmithUnited States Attorney General · 1805–1805Senate-confirmed
- Levi Lincoln Sr.United States Attorney General · 1801–1805Senate-confirmed
- Charles LeeUnited States Attorney General · 1795–1801Senate-confirmed
- William BradfordUnited States Attorney General · 1794–1795Senate-confirmed
- Edmund RandolphUnited States Attorney General · 1789–1794Senate-confirmed
Related on The Candidate
- The CabinetHow the Cabinet fits into the federal government — every department secretary.Open
- U.S. presidentsThe appointing authority — every president who has named a Cabinet secretary.Open
- U.S. SenateThe chamber that holds confirmation hearings and confirms nominees.Open
- Federal officesBrowse the federal offices and office holders The Candidate tracks.Open