Providing An Order of Succession Within the Department of Justice
Establishes Order of Succession for Attorney General Office
What it does
The order designates a list of U.S. Attorneys to serve as acting Attorney General if senior Justice Department leaders are all unable to serve.
Real-world impact
- Clarifies who will lead the Justice Department if top leaders cannot serve.
- Prevents officials already serving in acting roles from using this succession list.
- Allows the President to choose someone else instead of following the listed order.
Topics
Summary
This order names who will temporarily lead the Department of Justice if the Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General, Associate Attorney General, and other officers authorized to act are all unable to serve. It lists three U.S. Attorneys—in Maryland, southern Alabama, and northern Georgia—in that order to step in.
The order bars anyone already serving in an acting role from using this list, requires eligibility under the Vacancies Reform Act, allows the President to depart from the list, and replaces a 2006 memorandum.
Questions, answered
Ask questions about this executive order and its implications. Try:
- “What agencies are affected by this order?”
- “How does this order change existing policy?”
- “What are the practical implications of this order?”