No. Portrait Name Prior experience State of residence Took office Left office President(s) 1 Edmund Randolph Lawyer, 7th Governor of Virginia
Virginia September 26, 1789 January 26, 1794 George Washington 2 William Bradford Lawyer, judge, Attorney General of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania January 27, 1794 August 23, 1795 3 Charles Lee Lawyer, Acting United States Secretary of State
Virginia December 10, 1795 February 19, 1801 John Adams 4 Levi Lincoln Sr. Lawyer, Acting United States Secretary of State ,
7th Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts ,
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts 's 4th district
Massachusetts March 5, 1801 March 2, 1805 Thomas Jefferson 5 John Breckinridge Lawyer, United States Senator from Kentucky ,
Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives ,
Attorney General of Kentucky
Kentucky August 7, 1805 December 14, 1806 6 Caesar Augustus Rodney Lawyer, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Delaware 's at-large district,
Member of Delaware General Assembly
Delaware January 20, 1807 December 10, 1811 James Madison 7 William Pinkney Lawyer, United States Minister to the United Kingdom ,
3rd Attorney General of Maryland ,
Mayor of Annapolis ,
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maryland 's 3rd district
Maryland December 11, 1811 February 9, 1814 8 Richard Rush Lawyer, Attorney General of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania February 10, 1814 November 12, 1817 9 William Wirt Lawyer, United States Attorney for the District of Virginia ,
Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from Richmond City
6th Clerk of the Virginia House of Delegates
Virginia November 13, 1817 March 4, 1829 James Monroe John Quincy Adams 10 John Macpherson Berrien Lawyer, Judge of the Eastern judicial circuit of Georgia,
United States Senator from Georgia
Georgia March 9, 1829 July 19, 1831 Andrew Jackson 11 Roger B. Taney Lawyer, Acting United States Secretary of War ,
Attorney General of Maryland
Maryland July 20, 1831 November 14, 1833 12 Benjamin Franklin Butler Lawyer, Member of the New York State Assembly from Albany County ,
District Attorney of Albany County
New York November 15, 1833 July 4, 1838 Martin Van Buren 13 Felix Grundy Lawyer, United States Senator from Tennessee ,
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee 's 3rd district and 5th district,
Chief Justice of the Kentucky Court of Appeals
Tennessee July 5, 1838 January 10, 1840 14 Henry D. Gilpin Lawyer, Solicitor of the United States Treasury ,
U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania January 11, 1840 March 4, 1841 15 John J. Crittenden 1st term Lawyer, 22nd Secretary of State of Kentucky ,
United States Senator from Kentucky
Kentucky March 5, 1841 September 12, 1841 William Henry Harrison John Tyler 16 Hugh S. Legaré Lawyer, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from South Carolina 's 1st district
Acting United States Minister to Belgium ,
7th Attorney General of South Carolina
South Carolina September 13, 1841 June 20, 1843 17 John Nelson Lawyer, United States Chargé d'Affaires to the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies ,
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maryland 's 4th district
Maryland July 1, 1843 March 4, 1845 18 John Y. Mason Lawyer, 16th United States Secretary of the Navy
Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia ,
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia 's 2nd district
Virginia March 5, 1845 October 16, 1846 James K. Polk 19 Nathan Clifford Lawyer, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maine 's 1st district,
Attorney General of Maine ,
Member of the Maine House of Representatives ,
Maine October 17, 1846 March 17, 1848 20 Isaac Toucey Lawyer, 33rd Governor of Connecticut ,
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Connecticut 's at-large district and 1st district
Connecticut June 21, 1848 March 4, 1849 21 Reverdy Johnson Lawyer, United States Senator from Maryland
Maryland March 8, 1849 July 21, 1850 Zachary Taylor 22 John J. Crittenden 2nd term Lawyer, 15th United States Attorney General (1841)
22nd Secretary of State of Kentucky ,
United States Senator from Kentucky
Kentucky July 22, 1850 March 4, 1853 Millard Fillmore 23 Caleb Cushing Lawyer, United States Minister to China ,
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts 's 3rd district
Massachusetts March 7, 1853 March 4, 1857 Franklin Pierce 24 Jeremiah S. Black Lawyer, Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court
Pennsylvania March 6, 1857 December 16, 1860 James Buchanan 25 Edwin Stanton Lawyer Pennsylvania December 20, 1860 March 4, 1861 26 Edward Bates Lawyer, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Missouri 's at-large district,
Attorney General of Missouri
Missouri March 5, 1861 November 24, 1864 Abraham Lincoln 27 James Speed Lawyer, Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives
Kentucky December 2, 1864 July 22, 1866 Andrew Johnson 28 Henry Stanbery Lawyer, Attorney General of Ohio
Ohio July 23, 1866 July 16, 1868 29 William M. Evarts Lawyer New York July 17, 1868 March 4, 1869 30 Ebenezer R. Hoar Lawyer, judge Massachusetts March 5, 1869 November 22, 1870 Ulysses S. Grant 31 Amos T. Akerman Lawyer, teacher Georgia November 23, 1870 December 13, 1871 32 George Henry Williams United States Senator from Oregon 3rd Chief Justice of Oregon Supreme Court
Oregon December 14, 1871 April 25, 1875 33 Edwards Pierrepont Attorney U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York
New York April 26, 1875 May 21, 1876 34 Alphonso Taft 31st United States Secretary of War Ohio May 22, 1876 March 4, 1877 35 Charles Devens Judge of Massachusetts superior court Massachusetts March 12, 1877 March 4, 1881 Rutherford B. Hayes 36 Wayne MacVeagh Lawyer, United States Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire
Pennsylvania March 5, 1881 December 15, 1881 James A. Garfield Chester A. Arthur 37 Benjamin H. Brewster Attorney General of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania December 16, 1881 March 4, 1885 38 Augustus Garland Lawyer, United States Senator from Arkansas ,
11th Governor of Arkansas
Arkansas March 6, 1885 March 4, 1889 Grover Cleveland 39 William H. H. Miller Lawyer Indiana March 7, 1889 March 4, 1893 Benjamin Harrison 40 Richard Olney Lawyer Massachusetts March 6, 1893 April 7, 1895 Grover Cleveland 41 Judson Harmon Lawyer Ohio April 8, 1895 March 4, 1897 42 Joseph McKenna Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit , Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California 's 3rd district
California March 5, 1897 January 25, 1898 William McKinley 43 John W. Griggs Lawyer, 28th Governor of New Jersey
New Jersey January 25, 1898 March 29, 1901 44 Philander C. Knox Lawyer, Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania (1876–1877),
President of the Pennsylvania Bar Association
Pennsylvania April 5, 1901 June 30, 1904 Theodore Roosevelt 45 William Henry Moody 35th United States Secretary of the Navy , Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts 's 6th district
Massachusetts July 1, 1904 December 17, 1906 46 Charles Bonaparte Lawyer, 37th United States Secretary of the Navy
Maryland December 17, 1906 March 4, 1909 47 George W. Wickersham Lawyer New York March 4, 1909 March 4, 1913 William Howard Taft 48 James C. McReynolds Lawyer Tennessee March 5, 1913 August 29, 1914 Woodrow Wilson 49 Thomas Watt Gregory Lawyer Texas August 29, 1914 March 4, 1919 50 A. Mitchell Palmer Attorney, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania 's 26th district
Pennsylvania March 5, 1919 March 4, 1921 51 Harry M. Daugherty Lawyer Member of the Ohio House of Representatives (1889−1893)
Republican Political Operative from Ohio
Ohio March 4, 1921 April 6, 1924 Warren G. Harding Calvin Coolidge 52 Harlan F. Stone Lawyer New York April 7, 1924 March 1, 1925 53 John G. Sargent Lawyer, Attorney General of Vermont
Vermont March 7, 1925 March 4, 1929 54 William D. Mitchell Attorney, 18th United States Solicitor General
Minnesota March 4, 1929 March 4, 1933 Herbert Hoover 55 Homer Stille Cummings Mayor of Stamford, Connecticut (1904–1906) , State Attorney of Fairfield County (1914–1924), Chair of the Democratic National Committee (1919–1920)
Connecticut March 4, 1933 January 1, 1939 Franklin D. Roosevelt 56 Frank Murphy Governor-General of the Philippines (1933–1935), 1st High Commissioner to the Philippines (1935–1936),
35th Governor of Michigan (1937–1939)
Michigan January 2, 1939 January 18, 1940 57 Robert H. Jackson Lawyer, United States Assistant Attorney General for the Tax Division (1936–1937),
United States Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division (1937–1938),
24th United States Solicitor General (1938–1940)
New York January 18, 1940 August 25, 1941 58 Francis Biddle Pennsylvania August 26, 1941 June 26, 1945 Lawyer, Deputy Chair of the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Pennsylvania (1938–1939),
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (1939–1940),
25th United States Solicitor General (1940–1941)
Harry S. Truman 59 Tom C. Clark Lawyer, United States Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division (1943–1945)
Texas June 27, 1945 July 26, 1949 60 J. Howard McGrath Lawyer, 60th Governor of Rhode Island (1941–1945),
27th United States Solicitor General (1945–1946),
Chair of the Democratic National Committee (1947–1949),
United States Senator from Rhode Island (1947–1949)
Rhode Island July 27, 1949 April 3, 1952 61 James P. McGranery Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania 's 2nd district (1937–1943), Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (1946–1952)
Pennsylvania April 4, 1952 January 20, 1953 62 Herbert Brownell Jr. Member of the New York State Assembly from the 10th district (1933–1937), Chair of the Republican National Committee (1944–1946)
New York January 21, 1953 October 23, 1957 Dwight D. Eisenhower 63 William P. Rogers Attorney, 4th United States Deputy Attorney General (1953–1957)
New York October 23, 1957 January 20, 1961 64 Robert F. Kennedy Lawyer Massachusetts January 20, 1961 September 3, 1964 John F. Kennedy Lyndon B. Johnson 65 Nicholas Katzenbach Illinois September 4, 1964 January 28, 1965 Lawyer, 7th United States Deputy Attorney General (1962–1965)
January 28, 1965 November 28, 1966 66 Ramsey Clark Texas November 28, 1966 March 10, 1967 United States Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division (1961–1965), 8th United States Deputy Attorney General (1965–1967)
March 10, 1967 January 20, 1969 67 John N. Mitchell Lawyer New York January 20, 1969 February 15, 1972 Richard Nixon 68 Richard Kleindienst Lawyer, 10th United States Deputy Attorney General (1969–1972)
Arizona February 15, 1972 April 30, 1973 69 Elliot Richardson Lawyer, 37th Attorney General of Massachusetts (1967–1969),
25th United States Under Secretary of State (1969–1970),
9th United States Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare (1970–1973),
11th United States Secretary of Defense (Jan–May 1973)
Massachusetts May 25, 1973 October 20, 1973 – Robert Bork Acting 33rd Solicitor General of the United States (1973–1977) Pennsylvania October 20, 1973 January 4, 1974 70 William B. Saxbe U.S. Senator from Ohio Ohio January 4, 1974 February 2, 1975 Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives (1953–1955), Ohio Attorney General (1957–1959; 1963–1969),
United States Senator from Ohio (1969–1974)
Gerald Ford 71 Edward H. Levi 7th President of the University of Chicago Illinois February 2, 1975 January 20, 1977 – Dick Thornburgh Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania (1969–1975) United States Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division (1975–1977)
Pennsylvania January 20, 1977 January 26, 1977 Jimmy Carter 72 Griffin Bell Lawyer, Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (1961–1976)
Georgia January 26, 1977 August 16, 1979 73 Benjamin Civiletti Assistant United States Attorney United States Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division (1977–1978)
17th United States Deputy Attorney General (1978–1979)
Maryland August 16, 1979 January 19, 1981 74 William French Smith Lawyer California January 23, 1981 February 25, 1985 Ronald Reagan 75 Edwin Meese Counselor to the President (1981–1985) California February 25, 1985 August 12, 1988 76 Dick Thornburgh Acting United States Attorney General (1977)
Governor of Pennsylvania (1979–1987)
Pennsylvania August 12, 1988 August 15, 1991 George H. W. Bush 77 William Barr 1st term United States Deputy Attorney General (1990–1991) United States Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel (1989–1990)
Virginia August 16, 1991 November 26, 1991 November 26, 1991 January 20, 1993 – Stuart M. Gerson Acting United States Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division (1989–1993) Washington, D.C. January 20, 1993 March 12, 1993 Bill Clinton 78 Janet Reno Attorney, State Attorney for Miami-Dade County (1978–1993)
Florida March 12, 1993 January 20, 2001 – Eric Holder Acting United States Deputy Attorney General (1997–2001) United States Attorney for the District of Columbia (1993–1997)
Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia (1988–1993)
Washington, D.C. January 20, 2001 February 2, 2001 George W. Bush 79 John Ashcroft 38th Attorney General of Missouri (1977–1983) 50th Governor of Missouri (1985–1993)
United States Senator from Missouri (1995–2001)
Missouri February 2, 2001 February 3, 2005 80 Alberto Gonzales 100th Secretary of State of Texas (1998–1999) Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas (1999–2001) White House Counsel (2001–2005)
Texas February 3, 2005 September 17, 2007 – Paul Clement Acting Lawyer, United States Principal Deputy Solicitor General (2001–2004)
43rd United States Solicitor General (2004–2008)
Washington, D.C. September 17, 2007 September 18, 2007 – Peter Keisler Acting Acting United States Associate Attorney General (2002–2003) United States Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division (2003–2007)
Washington, D.C. September 18, 2007 November 9, 2007 81 Michael Mukasey Attorney, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (2000–2006)
Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (2006)
New York November 9, 2007 January 20, 2009 – Mark Filip Acting Lawyer, Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (2004–2008)
33rd United States Deputy Attorney General (2008–2009)
Illinois January 20, 2009 February 3, 2009 Barack Obama 82 Eric Holder Acting United States Attorney General (2001) United States Deputy Attorney General (1997–2001)
United States Attorney for the District of Columbia (1993–1997)
Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia (1988–1993)
Washington, D.C. February 3, 2009 April 27, 2015 83 Loretta Lynch United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York (1999–2001, 2010–2015) Member of the Board of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (2003–2005)
New York April 27, 2015 January 20, 2017 – Sally Yates Acting Lawyer, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia (2010–2015)
36th United States Deputy Attorney General (2015–2017)
Georgia January 20, 2017 January 30, 2017 Donald Trump – Dana Boente Acting Attorney, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia (2013–2018)
Virginia January 30, 2017 February 9, 2017 84 Jeff Sessions United States Senator from Alabama (1997–2017) Attorney General of Alabama (1995–1997)
United States Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama (1981–1993)
Alabama February 9, 2017 November 7, 2018 – Matthew Whitaker Acting Lawyer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa (2004–2009)
Chief of Staff to the United States Attorney General (2017–2018)
Iowa November 7, 2018 February 14, 2019 85 William Barr 2nd term 77th United States Attorney General (1991–1993) United States Deputy Attorney General (1990–1991)
United States Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel (1989–1990)
Virginia February 14, 2019 December 23, 2020 – Jeffrey A. Rosen Acting Lawyer 12th United States Deputy Secretary of Transportation (2017–2019)
38th United States Deputy Attorney General (2019–2020)
Massachusetts December 24, 2020 January 20, 2021 – John Demers Acting Lawyer United States Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division (2018–2021)
Massachusetts January 20, 2021 January 20, 2021 Joe Biden – Monty Wilkinson Acting Lawyer Washington, D.C. January 20, 2021 March 11, 2021 86 Merrick Garland Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (2013–2020) Nominee for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court (2016)
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (1997–2021)
Maryland March 11, 2021 Incumbent