The current US Attorney General is Pamela Bondi, who was sworn in on February 6, 2025, after the Senate confirmed her nomination two days earlier by a vote of 54–46. She leads the Department of Justice, serves as the federal government’s chief law enforcement officer, and advises the President on legal matters.1United States Senate. Roll Call Vote 119th Congress, 1st Session
Who Pamela Bondi Is
Pamela Jo Bondi was born on November 17, 1965, in Tampa, Florida. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida in 1987 and a law degree from Stetson University College of Law in 1990, and was admitted to the Florida bar the following year.2United States Department of Justice. Attorney General: Pamela J. Bondi
Bondi spent nearly a decade as an assistant state attorney in Florida’s Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, from 1991 to 2000. In 2010 she won election as Attorney General of Florida, serving two terms from 2011 through 2019 and becoming the first woman to hold that office. She later joined the White House as a special advisor in the Office of White House Counsel in 2019 and worked in private legal practice before her nomination to lead the Department of Justice.2United States Department of Justice. Attorney General: Pamela J. Bondi She is the 87th person to hold the federal office.
What the Attorney General Does
The Attorney General has two broad jobs: advising the executive branch on the law and running the Department of Justice.
On the advisory side, the Attorney General provides legal opinions to the President on request.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 Code 511 – Attorney General Heads of other executive departments can also seek the Attorney General’s opinion on legal questions that arise in running their agencies.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 Code 512 – Attorney General to Advise Heads of Executive Departments These opinions shape how the entire executive branch interprets federal law.
On the administrative side, the Attorney General sets prosecution priorities, manages the DOJ budget, and coordinates the work of U.S. Attorney’s offices around the country.5United States Department of Justice. Office of the Attorney General Nearly all functions within the Department of Justice are vested in the Attorney General, with only narrow exceptions for administrative law judges and the Federal Prison Industries board.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 Code 509 – Functions of the Attorney General That statutory authority puts several major federal law enforcement agencies under the Attorney General’s supervision, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the United States Marshals Service.
The Attorney General also represents the United States in court. She shares with the Solicitor General the responsibility for arguing the government’s cases in the Supreme Court, the Court of Federal Claims, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the Court of International Trade.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 Code 518 – Conduct and Argument of Cases When she believes it serves the government’s interests, she can personally argue any case in any federal court or direct the Solicitor General or another DOJ officer to do so. Most Supreme Court advocacy runs through the Solicitor General; the Attorney General retains final authority over the legal positions the government takes.
How Someone Becomes Attorney General
Under Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution, the President nominates the Attorney General and the Senate must confirm the choice.8Congress.gov. Constitution Annotated – Article II, Section 2 Federal law repeats the requirement plainly: “The President shall appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, an Attorney General of the United States.”9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 Code 503 – Attorney General
Unlike many state attorney general offices, the federal position has no statutory age, residency, or bar-membership requirement. Every nominee in practice has been a licensed attorney, but that is tradition rather than a legal mandate. The real screening happens in Senate Judiciary Committee hearings, where senators examine the nominee’s record, legal philosophy, and potential conflicts of interest. A simple majority in the full Senate is enough for confirmation.
Ethics, Recusal, and Special Counsel
The Attorney General is bound by the same ethics rules that apply to every DOJ employee. Under federal regulations, no DOJ employee may take part in a criminal investigation or prosecution if they have a personal or political relationship with someone substantially involved in the matter, or with someone whose interests would be directly affected by the outcome.10eCFR. 28 CFR 45.2 – Disqualification Arising From Personal or Political Relationship A “political relationship” means close identification with an elected official, candidate, party, or campaign through service as a principal advisor or official. A “personal relationship” covers any close and substantial connection that would normally raise questions about impartiality, and family members are presumed to create one. When a conflict exists, the employee reports it, and a supervisor decides in writing whether participation would compromise the investigation.
When an investigation would create a conflict for the department, or when extraordinary circumstances make outside oversight appropriate, the Attorney General can appoint a special counsel from outside the government to take over the matter.11eCFR. 28 CFR Part 600 – General Powers of Special Counsel Even after that appointment, the Attorney General retains oversight and can block a proposed action she concludes is inappropriate under established DOJ practices. She must notify the leadership of the Senate and House Judiciary Committees when a special counsel is appointed, removed, or concludes the investigation, and that final notification must describe any instances where she overruled the special counsel.12eCFR. 28 CFR 600.9 – Notification and Reports by the Attorney General
How an Attorney General Leaves Office
The Attorney General serves at the pleasure of the President. There is no fixed term. The President can remove the Attorney General at any time without Senate approval, a principle grounded in Article II and affirmed by the Supreme Court in Myers v. United States (1926). Presidents typically request a resignation rather than fire an Attorney General outright, but the authority to do either is well established.
Congress can also impeach and remove the Attorney General. As a civil officer of the United States, the Attorney General can be impeached by a simple majority in the House for treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors. Conviction requires a two-thirds vote in the Senate, with removal from office and possible disqualification from future federal positions as the penalty.13United States Senate. About Impeachment
If the office is vacant or the officeholder cannot serve, the Deputy Attorney General steps in first, then the Associate Attorney General. Beyond those two, the President sets the order of succession by executive order, and under the order issued in January 2025 the line continues through designated U.S. Attorneys.14Federal Register. Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Justice The Federal Vacancies Reform Act separately allows the President to install an acting Attorney General by choosing the first assistant to the office, another Senate-confirmed official, or a senior DOJ employee who has served at least 90 days at or above the GS-15 pay grade.15Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 Code 3345 – Acting Officer