The Massachusetts Attorney General is an elected
constitutionally
A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed.
When these princip ...
defined executive officer of the
Massachusetts Government
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is governed by a set of political tenets laid down in its state constitution. Legislative power is held by the bicameral General Court, which is composed of the Senate and House of Representatives. The gover ...
. The officeholder is the chief lawyer and law enforcement officer of the
. The officeholder also acts as an advocate and resource for the Commonwealth and its residents in many areas, including
consumer protection
Consumer protection is the practice of safeguarding buyers of goods and services, and the public, against unfair practices in the marketplace. Consumer protection measures are often established by law. Such laws are intended to prevent business ...
, combating fraud and corruption, protecting civil rights, and maintaining economic competition. The current Attorney General is
Maura Healey
Maura Tracy Healey (born February 8, 1971) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the Massachusetts Attorney General since January 2015. She is the governor-elect of Massachusetts, having won the 2022 Massachusetts gubernatorial elect ...
.
History
When the 1780
state constitution was first enacted, the attorney general was appointed by the
governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
, with the advice and consent of
the Governor's Council. The office was abolished in 1843 and re-established in 1849. In 1855 the constitution was amended so that the attorney general (along with a number of other constitutionally enumerated offices) was elected by the people. The length of the term of office has matched that of the governor, and elections are held concurrently with those for other constitutional office. Elections were first held annually, became biennial (every two years) in 1920, and quadrennial (every four years) in 1966.
Organization
The Office of the Attorney General is organized into six Bureaus: Executive; Energy and Environmental; Criminal; Government; Health Care and Fair Competition; and Public Protection and Advocacy. Each bureau is divided into divisions and teams. These Bureaus and Divisions have distinct missions, but work closely together to ensure the Attorney General's Office provides the highest level of public protection.
List of attorneys general of the
Province of Massachusetts Bay
The Province of Massachusetts Bay was a colony in British America which became one of the Thirteen Colonies, thirteen original states of the United States. It was chartered on October 7, 1691, by William III of England, William III and Mary II ...
Office established at the start of
Queen Anne's War
Queen Anne's War (1702–1713) was the second in a series of French and Indian Wars fought in North America involving the colonial empires of Great Britain, France, and Spain; it took place during the reign of Anne, Queen of Great Britain. In E ...
in 1702.
List of attorneys general of the
Office reestablished upon the ratification of the
Constitution of Massachusetts
The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the fundamental governing document of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, one of the 50 individual state governments that make up the United States of America. As a member of the Massachuset ...
in 1780.
Living former Massachusetts attorneys general
As of , there are five living former Massachusetts attorneys general, the oldest being
Francis X. Bellotti
Francis Xavier Bellotti (born May 3, 1923) is an American lawyer and politician. In his first campaign he was the Democratic nominee for District Attorney of Norfolk County in 1958, but was defeated in the general election. In 1962 Bellotti was ...
(served 1975–1987, born 1923). The most recent attorney general to die was
Edward Brooke
Edward William Brooke III (October 26, 1919 – January 3, 2015) was an American politician of the Republican Party, who represented Massachusetts in the United States Senate from 1967 until 1979. Prior to serving in the Senate, he served as t ...
on January 3, 2015 (served 1963–1967, born 1919).
References
External links
Massachusetts Attorney Generalofficial website
* . (Various documents).
Massachusetts Attorney Generalarticles at ''ABA Journal''
at
FindLaw
FindLaw is a business of Thomson Reuters that provides online legal information and online marketing services for law firms. FindLaw was created by Stacy Stern, Martin Roscheisen, and Tim Stanley in 1995, and was acquired by Thomson West in 2001. ...
*
ttp://law.justia.com/codes/massachusetts/ Massachusetts General Lawsat Law.Justia.com
U.S. Supreme Court Opinions - "Cases with title containing: State of Massachusetts"at
FindLaw
FindLaw is a business of Thomson Reuters that provides online legal information and online marketing services for law firms. FindLaw was created by Stacy Stern, Martin Roscheisen, and Tim Stanley in 1995, and was acquired by Thomson West in 2001. ...
Massachusetts Bar AssociationMassachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey profileat
National Association of Attorneys General
The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of state and territory attorneys general in the United States.
NAAG is governed by member attorneys general, with a president and executive committee se ...
Press releasesat Massachusetts Attorney General
{{U.S. State Attorneys General
Attorneys General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general.
In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...
1702 establishments in Massachusetts