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