The Tennessee Attorney General (officially, Attorney General and Reporter) is the chief law enforcement officer and lawyer for the U.S. state of Tennessee.[2] The office of the attorney general is located at the state capitol in Nashville, Tennessee. The current office holder is Jonathan Skrmetti, who was appointed in 2022 by the Tennessee Supreme Court for an eight-year term. His service officially began when he was sworn in by Governor, Bill Lee on September 1, 2022.[3]
| Attorney General and Reporter of State of Tennessee | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Office of the Attorney General and Reporter | |
| Seat | Nashville, Tennessee |
| Appointer | Tennessee Supreme Court |
| Term length | 8 years |
| Constituting instrument | Constitution of Tennessee Article VI Section 5 |
| Formation | 1831 |
| Salary | $196,968 (2021)[1] |
| Website | Government Website |
Appointment by judiciary
Unlike any other state, the Tennessee Attorney General is an officer of the judicial branch, not the executive branch. Article VI Section 5 of the Tennessee Constitution provides for the appointment of the Attorney General by the justices of the Supreme Court for a term of 8 years.[4] In most other states, the office of attorney general is appointed by the governor or elected by voters or the legislature.
Duties
Office of the Attorney General
The Attorney General oversees the work and operations of the Office of the Attorney General. In this capacity, he is assisted by various office heads.[5]
Chief Deputy Attorney General - Lacey E. Mase
- responsible for coordinating and supervising the Office's work
- reviews much of the work done by the Office
- responsible for general management
Solicitor General - Andreé Sophia Blumstein
- oversees all litigation on appeals in the Tennessee Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Court of Criminal Appeals, U.S. Supreme Court, and U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals
- oversees all opinions published by the Attorney General
Chief of Staff - Brandon J. Smith
- responsible for administrative matters
- oversees talent management, organizational development, information technology, fiscal issues, and facilities issues
List of attorneys general
| # | Image | Name | Tenure | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Shall Yerger | 1831–1839 | ||
| 2 | Return J. Meigs III | 1839 | ||
| 3 |  | West Hughes Humphreys | 1839–1851 | |
| 4 | William Graham Swan | 1851–1854 | Democratic | |
| 5 | John L. T. Sneed | 1854–1859 | ||
| 6 | John W. Head | 1859–1862 | Democratic | |
| – | .jpg) | Horace Maynard | 1864 | Unionist |
| 7 | Thomas M. Coldwell | 1865–1870 | ||
| 8 |  | Joseph Brown Heiskell | 1870–1878 | Democratic |
| 9 | Benjamin J. Lea | 1878–1886 | Democratic | |
| 10 | George Wesley Pickle[6] | 1886–1902 | ||
| 11 | Charles T. Cates, Jr. | 1902–1913 | ||
| 12 | Frank M. Thompson | 1913–1926 | ||
| 13 | Charles L. Cornelius | 1926 | ||
| 14 | L. D. Smith | 1926–1932 | ||
| 15 | Roy H. Beeler[7][8][9] | 1932–1954 | ||
| 16 | George F. McCanless | 1954–1969 | ||
| 17 | David M. Pack | 1969–1974 | ||
| 18 | Milton P. Rice | 1974 | ||
| 19 | R.A. Ashley Jr. | 1974–1976 | ||
| 20 | Brooks McLemore | 1976–1978 | ||
| 21 | William M. Leech Jr. | 1978–1984 | ||
| 22 | W.J. Michael Cody | 1984–1988 | ||
| 23 | Charles Burson | 1988–1997 | Democratic | |
| 24 | John Knox Walkup | 1997–1999 | ||
| 25 | Paul G. Summers | 1999–2006 | ||
| 26 | Robert E. Cooper Jr. | 2006–2014 | Democratic | |
| 27 | Herbert Slatery | 2014–2022 | Republican | |
| 28 | Jonathan Skrmetti | 2022–present | Republican |
See also
References
External links
- Tennessee Attorney General official website
- Tennessee Attorney General articles at ABA Journal
- News and Commentary at FindLaw
- Tennessee Code at Law.Justia.com
- U.S. Supreme Court Opinions - "Cases with title containing: State of Tennessee" at FindLaw
- Tennessee Bar Association
- General Herbert H. Slatery, III profile at National Association of Attorneys General
- Press releases at Tennessee Attorney General