The Attorney General of Wisconsin is a constitutional officer in the

executive branch The Executive, also referred as the Executive branch or Executive power, is the term commonly used to describe that part of government which enforces the law, and has overall responsibility for the governance of a state. In political systems ...

of the

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government i ...

of the U.S. state of

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

. Forty-five individuals have held the office of Attorney General since statehood. The incumbent is Josh Kaul, a Democrat.

Election and term of office

The Attorney General is elected on

Election Day Election day or polling day is the day on which general elections are held. In many countries, general elections are always held on a Saturday or Sunday, to enable as many voters as possible to participate; while in other countries elections ...

in November, and takes office on the first Monday of the next January. There is no

limit Limit or Limits may refer to: Arts and media * ''Limit'' (manga), a manga by Keiko Suenobu * ''Limit'' (film), a South Korean film * Limit (music), a way to characterize harmony * "Limit" (song), a 2016 single by Luna Sea * "Limits", a 2019 ...

to the number of terms an Attorney General may hold. From 1848 to 1968, the Attorney General was elected to a two-year term in the November general election. Since 1970, following ratification of a constitutional amendment in April 1967, the Attorney General has been elected to a four-year term. In the event of a vacancy in the office of the Attorney General, the

Governor of Wisconsin The governor of Wisconsin is the head of government of Wisconsin and the commander-in-chief of the state's army and air forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Wiscon ...

may appoint a replacement to fill the remainder of the term. The Attorney General may be removed from office through an impeachment trial. They may also choose to resign from office.

Powers and duties

The Attorney General is the chief law officer of the state of

, and amongst other duties has charge and conduct for the state of all suits instituted for and against the government thereof, certifies all bonds issued by the state, protects the School Trust Funds managed by the

Wisconsin Board of Commissioners of Public Lands The Board of Commissioners of Public Lands, otherwise known as BCPL, is a state agency responsible for investing Wisconsin's school trust funds in support of public education, for managing the state's remaining school trust lands, and for maintain ...

, and provides written opinions on questions of law to either house of the

Wisconsin Legislature The Wisconsin Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house, Wisconsin State Senate, and the lower Wisconsin State Assembly, both of which have had Repub ...

or the head of any state agency. By virtue of office, the Attorney General directs and supervises the Wisconsin Department of Justice. In accordance with Article X, Section 7 of the Wisconsin State Constitution, the Attorney General is a member of the

; the same is also a member of, or designates members to, the Claims Board, Crime Victims Rights Board, Group Insurance Board, Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions, Judicial Council, Law Enforcement Standards Board, Public Records Board, and the Board of Directors of the Insurance Security Fund.

List of attorneys general of Wisconsin

This is a list of attorneys general for Wisconsin, from before statehood to present.

Wisconsin Territory

Before statehood, the

Wisconsin Territory The Territory of Wisconsin was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 3, 1836, until May 29, 1848, when an eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Wisconsin. Belmont was ...

also had several attorneys general appointed by the governor of the territory.Wisconsin Territory

State of Wisconsin

References

General

''Wisconsin Blue Book''
2005–2006

from ''History of Crawford and Richland Counties, Wisconsin''. Springfield, Illinois: Union Publishing Company, 1884. pp. 34–41.

Specific

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* ttp://law.justia.com/codes/wisconsin/ Wisconsin Statutes & Annotationsat Law.Justia.com
U.S. Supreme Court Opinions - "Cases with title containing: State of Wisconsin"
at

State Bar of Wisconsin

Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel profile
at

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 ...

{{U.S. state attorneys general 1848 establishments in Wisconsin

Attorney 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 ...