The office of attorney general of Louisiana (french: Procureur général de la Louisiane) has existed since the colonial period. Under Article IV, Section 8 of the

Constitution of Louisiana The Louisiana Constitution is legally named the Constitution of the State of Louisiana and commonly called the Louisiana Constitution of 1974, and the Constitution of 1974. The constitution is the cornerstone of the law of Louisiana ensuring the ...

, the attorney general is elected statewide for a four-year term and is the chief legal officer of the state. Additionally, "the attorney general shall have authority (1) to institute, prosecute, or intervene in any civil action or proceeding; (2) upon the written request of a district attorney, to advise and assist in the prosecution of any criminal case; and (3) for cause, when authorized by the court which would have original jurisdiction and subject to judicial review, (a) to institute, prosecute, or intervene in any criminal action or proceeding, or (b) to supersede any attorney representing the state in any civil or criminal action. The attorney general shall exercise other powers and perform other duties authorized by this constitution or by law."Constitution of Louisiana, Article IV, §8. The current attorney general,

Jeff Landry Jeffrey Martin Landry (born December 23, 1970) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the Attorney General of Louisiana. He defeated Republican incumbent Buddy Caldwell in a runoff election held on November 21, 2015, and took office on J ...

has been in office since 2016.

Territory of Orleans (1804–1812)

* John Mahlon Dickens 1804–1807 * James Brown 1807–1809 *

Francois Xavier Martin François Xavier Martin (March 17, 1762 – December 10, 1846), was a Franco-American lawyer and author, the first Attorney General of State of Louisiana, and longtime Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court. Born in Marseille, he moved to Martiniq ...

1809–1810 *

Louis Moreau-Lislet Louis Moreau-Lislet ( Dondon, 7 October 1766 – New Orleans, 3 December 1832) was an American jurist and translator. He is considered one of the fathers of the Louisiana Civil Code, which he drafted together with James Brown and Edward Livingst ...

1810–1812

State of Louisiana (1812–present)

Notes and sources

External links

Louisiana Attorney General
official website {{U.S. state attorneys general * Attorneysgeneral Attorneysgeneral