Week 2 – Feb. 3, 2020
The Structure of the Office of the Attorney General
Syllabus: The Role of the State Attorney General
State Attorneys General have never fit easily into the existing framework of state government. States generally have rejected the federal model in which the Attorney General serves at the pleasure of the Chief Executive, and this “divided executive” approach results in numerous possible conflicts as the Attorney General attempts to represent the “client,” which could be the Governor, the state agency, or the public interest. This week explores the independence inherent in the office of a modern Attorney General.
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- Feeney v. Commonwealth, 373 Mass. 359, 366 N.E.2d 1266 (1977).
- People ex rel. Deukmejian v. Brown, 29 Cal.3d 150, 624 P.2d 1206 (1981).
- William P. Marshall, Break Up the Presidency? Governors, State Attorneys General and Lessons from the Divided Executive, 115 Yale L.J. 2445-2469 (2006).
- Generic State Attorney General's Office Organization Chart.
- Delaware AG Investigates Own Client, Celia Cohen, Grapevine Political Writer, Sept. 15, 2007.
- "AGs' powers a subject of contention." _Denver Post Capitol Bureau, _Martinez, J. C. (2003, December 7).
- "High Court to Hickenlooper: We're not getting involved". Colorado Independent, Corey Hutchins (December 03, 2015)
- No Charges to Be FiledIn Prison Sentence Screw-Up, Nebraskawatchdog.Org, November 24, 2014.
- Terrie, Morgan-Besecker, "DA refers prison sex abuse probe to state attorney general's office," The Times-Tribune, Jan. 7, 2017.
- "Who is the Client?" – A Role Playing Hypothetical.