Illinois Attorney General

{{Short description|Attorney General for the U.S. state of Illinois}}

{{Infobox Political post

|post = Attorney General

|body = Illinois

|insignia = Seal of the Attorney General of Illinois.svg

|insigniacaption = Seal of the attorney general

|image = Kwame Raoul RFCG (1).jpg|incumbent=Kwame Raoul

|incumbentsince = January 14, 2019

|termlength = 4 years

|formation = December 3, 1818

|succession = Second

|inaugural = Daniel Pope Cook

|website = [https://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/ www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov]

|}}

The Illinois attorney general is the highest legal officer of the state of Illinois in the United States. Originally an appointed office, it is now an office filled by statewide election. Based in Chicago and Springfield, the attorney general is responsible for providing legal counsel for the various state agencies including the governor of Illinois and Illinois General Assembly, as well as conducting all legal affairs pertaining to the state.

The office of Illinois Attorney General was established on December 3, 1818, based on guidelines adopted by a state constitutional convention. The attorney general is second (behind the lieutenant governor) in the line of succession to the office of Governor of Illinois.{{cite web|url=http://www.ilga.gov/commission/lrb/conent.htm|title=Constitution of the State of Illinois|work=Illinois General Assembly|access-date=August 22, 2019}}{{cite web|url=http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=183&ChapterID=4|title=Illinois Compiled Statutes 15 ILCS 5 — Governor Succession Act.|work=Illinois General Assembly|access-date=August 23, 2019}} The first person to fulfill the duties of the office was Daniel Pope Cook who only served eleven days, and was later elected to the United States Congress. Cook County was named in his honor.

The current holder of the office is Kwame Raoul.

Role

Under the Constitution of Illinois, the attorney general is the state's chief legal officer, and has the powers and duties prescribed by law. The attorney general's duties include advocating for the people of Illinois, working with the General Assembly to push for new legislation, and litigating to ensure that state laws are followed.{{Cite web|title=Illinois Attorney General - About Us|url=https://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/about/index.html|access-date=2020-07-13|website=www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov|archive-date=2023-03-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230330163014/https://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/about/index.html|url-status=dead}} The state's Attorney General Act specifies several duties, including:{{Cite web|date=2018-11-19|title=The Office of the Illinois Attorney General|url=https://www.bettergov.org/backstory/the-office-of-the-illinois-attorney-general/|access-date=2020-07-13|website=Better Government Association|language=en}}

Represent the people of Illinois before the Supreme Court where the state or the people of the state are interested parties
Prosecute all proceedings and actions in favor of the state
Defend state officers acting in their official capacities in any actions or proceedings against them
Consult with and advise the state's attorneys
Investigate violations of all statutes that the attorney general has a duty to enforce
Advise the governor and other state officers, and give written opinions on legal or constitutional matters when requested
Give written opinions to the General Assembly or any of its committees when requested
Prepare drafts of contracts in which the state is interested
Attend, present evidence to, and prosecute indictments by the statewide grand jury
Ensure the proper allocation of funds appropriated to public institutions, and prosecute breaches of trust

The attorney general also oversees the Public Access Counselor, which is responsible for enforcing the state's Freedom of Information Act and Open Meetings Act.

List of attorneys general

;Parties

{{legend2|#CCFFCC|Democratic-Republican (4)|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}

class="wikitable" border="1"
# ! Image ! Name{{Cite web\|url=http://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/about/history.html\|title=Illinois Attorney General - History of the Illinois Attorney General}}{{cite book \|title=Illinois Blue Book \|date=1908 \|publisher=Secretary of State \|location=Springfield \|page=159 \|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=arwGAQAAIAAJ&q=Attorney+General \|access-date=13 August 2018}} ! Political party ! Term
{{Party shading/Democratic-Republican}} \|1 \|60px \|Daniel Pope Cook \|Democratic-Republican \|1819
{{Party shading/Democratic-Republican}} \|2 \| \|William Mears \|Democratic-Republican \|1819–1821
{{Party shading/Democratic-Republican}} \|3 \|60px \|Samuel D. Lockwood \|Democratic-Republican \|1821–1822
{{Party shading/Democratic-Republican}} \|4 \| \|James Turney \|Democratic-Republican \|1822–1829
-{{Party shading/Democratic}} \|5 \| \|George Forquer \|Democratic \|1829–1832
{{Party shading/Democratic}} \|6 \|60px \|James Semple \|Democratic \|1832–1834
-{{Party shading/Democratic}} \|7 \| \|Ninian Wirt Edwards \|Democratic \|1834–1835
{{Party shading/Democratic}} \|8 \|60px \|Jesse B. Thomas Jr. \|Democratic \|1835–1836
-{{Party shading/Democratic}} \|9 \|60px \|Walter B. Scates \|Democratic \|1836–1837
{{Party shading/Democratic}} \|10 \| \|Usher F. Linder \|Democratic \|1837–1838
-{{Party shading/Democratic}} \|11 \| \|George W. Olney \|Democratic \|1838–1839
-{{Party shading/Democratic}} \|12 \| \|Wickliffe Kitchell \|Democratic \|1839–1840
{{Party shading/Democratic}} \|13 \| \|Josiah Lamborn \|Democratic \|1840–1843
{{Party shading/Democratic}} \|14 \|60px \|James A. McDougall \|Democratic \|1843–1846
-{{Party shading/Democratic}} \|15 \| \|David B. Campbell \|Democratic \|1846–1848
colspan=5 align=center\|Office abolished 1848–1867
{{Party shading/Republican}} \|16 \|60px \|Robert G. Ingersoll \|Republican \|1867–1869
{{Party shading/Republican}} \|17 \| \|Washington Bushnell \|Republican \|1869–1873
{{Party shading/Republican}} \|18 \| \|James K. Edsall \|Republican \|1873–1881
{{Party shading/Republican}} \|19 \|60px \|James A. McCartney \|Republican \|1881–1885
{{Party shading/Republican}} \|20 \|60px \|George Hunt \|Republican \|1885–1893
{{Party shading/Democratic}} \|21 \| \|Maurice T. Moloney \|Democratic \|1893–1897
{{Party shading/Republican}} \|22 \|60px \|Edward C. Akin \|Republican \|1897–1901
{{Party shading/Republican}} \|23 \| \|Howland J. Hamlin \|Republican \|1901–1905
{{Party shading/Republican}} \|24 \|60px \|William H. Stead \|Republican \|1905–1913
{{Party shading/Democratic}} \|25 \|60px \|Patrick J. Lucey \|Democratic \|1913–1917
{{Party shading/Republican}} \|26 \|60px \|Edward J. Brundage \|Republican \|1917–1925
{{Party shading/Republican}} \|27 \|60px \|Oscar E. Carlstrom \|Republican \|1925–1933
{{Party shading/Democratic}} \|28 \|60px \|Otto Kerner Sr. \|Democratic \|1932–1938
{{Party shading/Democratic}} \|29 \| \|John Edward Cassidy \|Democratic \|1938–1941
{{Party shading/Republican}} \|30 \|60px \|George F. Barrett \|Republican \|1941–1949
{{Party shading/Democratic}} \|31 \|60px \|Ivan A. Elliott \|Democratic \|1949–1953
{{Party shading/Republican}} \|32 \|60px \|Latham Castle \|Republican \|1953–1959
{{Party shading/Republican}} \|33 \| \|Grenville Beardsley \|Republican \|1959–1960
{{Party shading/Republican}} \|34 \| \|William L. Guild \|Republican \|1960–1961
{{Party shading/Democratic}} \|35 \|60px \|William G. Clark \|Democratic \|1961–1969
{{Party shading/Republican}} \|36 \|60px \|William J. Scott \|Republican \|1969–1980
{{Party shading/Republican}} \|37 \|60px \|Tyrone C. Fahner \|Republican \|1980–1983
{{Party shading/Democratic}} \|38 \|60px \|Neil F. Hartigan \|Democratic \|1983–1991
{{Party shading/Democratic}} \|39 \|60px \|Roland W. Burris \|Democratic \|1991–1995
{{Party shading/Republican}} \|40 \| \|Jim Ryan \|Republican \|1995–2003
{{Party shading/Democratic}} \|41 \|60px \|Lisa Madigan \|Democratic \|2003–2019
{{Party shading/Democratic}} \|42 \|60px \|Kwame Raoul \|Democratic \|2019–present

class="wikitable" border="1"

! Image

! Name{{Cite web|url=http://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/about/history.html|title=Illinois Attorney General - History of the Illinois Attorney General}}{{cite book |title=Illinois Blue Book |date=1908 |publisher=Secretary of State |location=Springfield |page=159 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=arwGAQAAIAAJ&q=Attorney+General |access-date=13 August 2018}}

! Political party

! Term

Illinois Attorney General

Role

List of attorneys general

See also

References

External links