Each US state has an attorney general who is the highest law enforcement official of that state. Attorneys general are most often elected by the people of the state and oversee a large staff of assistant attorneys general who perform variety of attorney general jobs in the areas of criminal and civil law. Tasks include the enforcement of state laws and regulations as well as the representation of state officials or agencies that are party to a lawsuit.
A state attorney general has broad powers. An attorney general’s office is usually divided into two major divisions of criminal law and civil law. With regard to criminal law, the attorney general jobs involve handling criminal cases that have statewide impact or that have been specifically designated by the legislature to be prosecuted by the attorney general.
In many states, these cases involve large scale drug trafficking enterprises that are investigated by special branches of the state police. Other criminal matters subject to the prosecutorial authority of the attorney general are cases of voting fraud, state benefits fraud, and criminal activity involving state liquor or gambling licenses. In some states, the attorney general may be mandated to perform specific duties in cases in which the death penalty is sought.
One of the important attorney general jobs in civil matters is the legal representation of state officials and state agencies. Assistant attorneys general defend state agencies and individual officers when they are sued regarding the performance of their official duties. This can include judges, state police officers, correctional officials, and regulatory agencies. The office of the attorney general also represents state entities such as universities in employee discharge hearings and other matters.
Among the many jobs within an attorney general’s office, there are some that deal with education and advocacy. Most state attorneys general maintain a consumer protection division, which provides educational information about the various types of consumer fraud and how to avoid it. In serious cases, the attorney general may take legal action to close a business and prosecute its owners under state law. Assistant attorneys general also monitor polling places to protect against voting fraud or attempts to interfere with voting rights.
Another of the important attorney general jobs is that of legal advisor to members of the state legislature and other public officials. Agency heads and members of the legislature may request that the attorney general’s office provide a written opinion regarding a contested or uncertain point of state law. Attorneys general usually employ a legal research and writing staff specifically for this task. Although these opinions do not carry the force of law, they can be cited in state court cases in support of legal arguments, and judges give them great weight.