The United States associate attorney general is the third-highest-ranking official in the U.S. Department of Justice. The associate attorney general advises and assists the attorney general and the deputy attorney general in policies relating to civil justice, federal and local law enforcement, and public safety matters.[1][2] The associate attorney general is appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.[3]
| United States Associate Attorney General | |
|---|---|
Seal of the Department
| |
Flag of the Associate Attorney General
| |
Benjamin C. Mizer Acting since February 2, 2024 | |
| Department of Justice | |
| Reports to | Attorney General |
| Appointer | The President with Senate advice and consent |
| Term length | No fixed term |
| Constituting instrument | 28 U.S.C. § 504a |
| Formation | March 10, 1977 |
| First holder | Michael J. Egan |
| Website | www |
The Office of the Associate Attorney General oversees the Antitrust Division, the Civil Division, the Environment and Natural Resources Division, the Tax Division, the Office of Justice Programs, the Community Oriented Policing Services, the Community Relations Service, the Office of Dispute Resolution, the Office of Violence Against Women, the Office of Information and Privacy, the Executive Office for United States Trustees, and the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission.[2]
The Office of the Associate Attorney General was created on March 10, 1977, by Attorney General Order No. 699-77.[1]
| No. | Portrait | Name | Years in office | President |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael J. Egan | 1977–1979 | Jimmy Carter | |
| 2 | 
|
John H. Shenefield | 1979–1981 | |
| 3 | 
|
Rudolph W. Giuliani | 1981–1983 | Ronald Reagan |
| 4 | 
|
D. Lowell Jensen | 1983–1985 | |
| 5 | 
|
Arnold I. Burns | 1985–1986 | |
| 6 | 
|
Stephen S. Trott | 1986–1988 | |
| 7 | 
|
Frank Keating | 1988–1990 | George H. W. Bush |
| Vacant | 1990–1992 | |||
| 8 | Wayne Budd | 1992–1993 | George H. W. Bush | |
| 9 | Webster Hubbell | 1993–1994 | Bill Clinton | |
| 10 | John Schmidt | 1994–1997 | ||
| 11 | 
|
Raymond C. Fisher | 1997–1999 | |
| 12 | Daniel Marcus | 1999–2001 | ||
| 13 | Jay B. Stephens | 2001–2002 | George W. Bush | |
| – | 
|
Peter Keisler * | 2002–2003 | |
| 14 | 
|
Robert McCallum Jr. | 2003–2006 | |
| – | 
|
William W. Mercer * | 2006–2007 | |
| – | 
|
Gregory G. Katsas * | 2007–2008 | |
| 15 | 
|
Kevin J. O'Connor | 2008–2009 | |
| 16 | 
|
Thomas J. Perrelli | 2009–2012 | Barack Obama |
| 17 | 
|
Tony West | 2012–2014 | |
| – | 
|
Stuart F. Delery * | 2014–2016 | |
| – | 
|
William J. Baer * | 2016–2017 | |
| – | 
|
Jesse Panuccio * | 2017 | Donald Trump |
| 18 | 
|
Rachel Brand | 2017–2018 | |
| – |
|
Jesse Panuccio * | 2018–2019 | |
| – | 
|
Claire McCusker Murray* | 2019–2021 | |
| – | 
|
Matthew Colangelo* | 2021 | Joe Biden |
| 19 | 
|
Vanita Gupta | 2021–2024 | |
| – | 
|
Benjamin C. Mizer* | 2024–present | |
| * Acting Associate Attorney General | ||||
