Editing Attorney general (section)

===United States===<!-- This section is linked from the [[University of Kansas]] -->

{{Main|United States Attorney General|State attorney general}}
{{See also|District attorney|United States Attorney}}
In the [[federal government of the United States]], the [[United States Attorney General|Attorney General]] is a member of the [[United States Cabinet|Cabinet]] and, as head of the [[United States Department of Justice|Department of Justice]], is the top law enforcement officer and lawyer for the government. The Attorney General may need to be distinguished from the [[United States Solicitor General|Solicitor General]], a high Justice Department official with the responsibility of representing the government before the [[United States Supreme Court|Supreme Court]]. In cases of exceptional importance, however, the attorney general may choose personally to represent the government to the Supreme Court.

The individual [[U.S. state]]s and territories, as well as the federal district of [[Washington, D.C.]] also have [[State Attorney General|attorneys general]] with similar responsibilities.  The majority of state attorneys general are chosen by popular election, as opposed to the U.S. Attorney General, who is a presidential appointee confirmed by the Senate.

In nearly all United States jurisdictions, the attorney general is that jurisdiction's chief law enforcement officer; as such, an attorney general may also be considered a police rank.  The proper way to address a person holding the office is Mister or Madam Attorney General, or just as Attorney General. The plural is "Attorneys General" or "Attorneys-General".