Attorney General of Maryland

Attorney general for Maryland, U.S.

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|

Attorney General of
the State of Maryland

Great Seal of the State of Maryland

Flag of the State of Maryland

Incumbent
Anthony Brown

since January 3, 2023

Style| The Honorable
Term length| Four years, no term limit
Inaugural holder| James Tilghman
1777
Formation| Maryland Constitution of 1776 (originally)
Maryland Constitution of 1864 (most recently)
Website| Maryland Attorney General

The Attorney General of the State of Maryland is the chief legal officer of the State of Maryland in the United States and is elected by the people every four years with no term limits. To run for the office a person must be a citizen of and qualified voter in Maryland and must have lived and practiced law in the state for at least ten years.

The attorney general has general charge, supervision and direction of the legal business of the State. The attorney general is the legal advisor and representative of the Governor, the General Assembly, the Judiciary, and the major departments, various boards, commissions, officials and institutions of State Government. The office further represents the State in all cases pending in the Appellate Courts of the State, and in the United States Supreme Court and lower Federal Courts. As of 2023, the attorney general is Democrat Anthony Brown.

## Summary of powers

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* The Attorney General serves as legal counsel to the Governor, the Legislature, and all State departments, boards, and most commissions.[1]
* The Attorney General may bring an action to restrain a foreign limited liability company from doing business in this State.[2]
* The Attorney General may obtain a court order prohibiting the guarantor or service contract provider from further violations in this State.[3][4]

## Colonial attorneys general

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Colonial attorneys general of Maryland[5] Image  | Name  | Term  | Home

|
|
|

| Lt. Richard Smith, Sr.  | 1657–1660/61  | Calvert County
| Capt. Thomas Manning  | 1660/61–1666  | Calvert County
| Col. William Calvert  | 1666–1670  | St. Mary's City
| Col. Vincent Lowe  | 1670–1676  | Talbot County
| Kenelm Cheseldyne  | 1676–1681  | St. Mary's City
| Thomas Burford  | 1681–1686/87  | Charles County
| Robert Carvile  | 1688  | St. Mary's City
| Charles Carroll | 1688–1689  | St. Mary's City & Anne Arundel County
| Col. George Plater, I  | 1691–1692  | St. Mary's County
| Edward Wynn  | 1692  | St. Mary's County
| Col. George Plater, I  | 1692–1698  | St. Mary's County
| Maj. William Dent  | 1698–1704  | Charles County
| Col. William Bladen | 1704–1718  | Annapolis
| Thomas Bordley  | 1718–1721  | Annapolis
| Daniel Dulany, Sr. | 1721–1725  | Annapolis
| Michael Howard  | 1725–1734  | Talbot County
| Daniel Dulany, Sr.  | 1734–1744  | Annapolis
| Henry Darnall, III | 1744–1756  | Prince George's County
| Stephen Bordley  | 1756–1763  | Annapolis
| Edmund Key  | 1764–1766  | Annapolis
| Robert Goldsborough, II | 1766–1768  | Dorchester County
| Thomas Jennings  | 1768–1776  | Annapolis

## Modern attorneys general

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Modern attorneys general of Maryland  Image | Name | From | To | Party | Law school

|
|
|
|
|

| James Tilghman | 1777 | 1778 |
| Luther Martin | 1778 | 1805 |
| William Pinkney | 1805 | 1806 | Democratic-Republican
| John Thomson Mason | 1806 | 1806 |
| John Johnson, Sr. | 1806 | 1811 |
| John Montgomery | 1811 | 1818 | Democratic-Republican
| Luther Martin | 1818 | 1822 |
| Thomas Beale Dorsey | 1822 | 1824 | Democratic-Republican
| Thomas Kell | 1824 | 1827 |
| Roger B. Taney | 1827 | 1831 | Democratic
| Josiah Bayly | 1831 | 1846 |
| George R. Richardson | 1846 | 1851 |
| Robert J. Brent | 1851 | 1864 | Whig
| Alexander Randall | 1864 | 1867 | Whig
| Isaac Dashiell Jones | 1867 | 1871 | Whig
| Andrew K. Syester | 1871 | 1875 | Whig
| Charles J. M. Gwinn | 1875 | 1883 | Democratic
| Charles Boyle Roberts | 1883 | 1887 | Democratic
| William Pinkney Whyte | 1887 | 1891 | Democratic | Harvard Law School
| John Prentiss Poe | 1891 | 1895 | Democratic
| Harry M. Clabaugh | 1895 | 1899 | Republican | University of Maryland School of Law
| George Riggs Gaither Jr. | 1899 | 1899 | Republican
| Isidor Rayner | 1899 | 1903 | Democratic | University of Virginia School of Law
| William Shepard Bryan Jr. | 1903 | 1907 | Democratic | University of Virginia School of Law
| Isaac Lobe Straus | 1907 | 1911 | Democratic | University of Maryland School of Law
| Edgar Allan Poe | 1911 | 1915 | Democratic | University of Maryland School of Law
| Albert Ritchie | 1915 | 1919 | Democratic | University of Maryland School of Law
| Ogle Marbury (acting) | 1918 | 1919 | Democrat | University of Maryland School of Law
| Alexander Armstrong | 1919 | 1923 | Republican | University of Pennsylvania Law School
| Thomas H. Robinson | 1923 | 1930 | Democratic |
| William Preston Lane Jr. | 1930 | 1934 | Democratic | University of Virginia School of Law
| Herbert O'Conor | 1934 | 1938 | Democratic | University of Maryland School of Law
| William C. Walsh | 1938 | 1945 | Democratic | Catholic University School of Law
| William Curran | 1945 | 1946 | Democratic | University of Maryland School of Law
| Hall Hammond | 1946 | 1952 | Democratic | University of Maryland School of Law
| Edward D. E. Rollins | 1952 | 1954 | Republican | University of Maryland School of Law
| C. Ferdinand Sybert | 1954 | 1961 | Democratic | University of Maryland School of Law
| Thomas B. Finan | 1961 | 1966 | Democratic | University of Maryland School of Law
| Robert C. Murphy | 1966 | 1966 | Democratic | University of Maryland School of Law
| Francis B. Burch | 1966 | 1978 | Democratic | Yale Law School
| Jon F. Oster | 1979 | 1979 | Democratic | University of Maryland School of Law
| George A. Nilson | 1979 | 1979 | Democratic | Yale Law School
| Stephen H. Sachs | 1979 | 1987 | Democratic | Yale Law School
| J. Joseph Curran Jr. | 1987 | 2007 | Democratic | University of Baltimore School of Law
| Doug Gansler | 2007 | 2015 | Democratic | University of Virginia School of Law
| Brian Frosh | 2015 | 2023 | Democratic | Columbia Law School
| Anthony Brown | 2023 |  | Democratic | Harvard Law School

## References

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1. ^ "Maryland State Government". msa.maryland.gov. Retrieved 2022-05-21.
2. ^ "2020 Maryland Statutes :: Corporations and Associations :: Title 4A – Limited Liability Company Act :: Subtitle 10 – Foreign Limited Liability Companies :: Section 4A-1008 – Action by Attorney General". Justia Law. Retrieved 2022-05-21.
3. ^ "2020 Maryland Statutes :: Commercial Law :: Title 14 – Miscellaneous Consumer Protection Provisions :: Subtitle 4 – Maryland Service Contracts and Consumer Products Guaranty Act". Justia Law. Retrieved 2022-05-21.
4. ^ "2020 Maryland Statutes :: Commercial Law :: Title 14 – Miscellaneous Consumer Protection Provisions :: Subtitle 4 – Maryland Service Contracts and Consumer Products Guaranty Act :: Section 14-406 – Action by Attorney General". Justia Law. Retrieved 2022-05-21.
5. ^ "Maryland Attorneys General, 1657-". msa.maryland.gov. Retrieved 2024-09-21.

## External links

[edit]

* Maryland Attorney General official website
* About the office and list of Attorneys General of Maryland, from the Maryland Archives.
* Maryland Attorney General articles at ABA Journal
* News and Commentary at FindLaw
* Maryland Code at Law.Justia.com
* U.S. Supreme Court Opinions – "Cases with title containing: State of Maryland" at FindLaw
* Maryland State Bar Association
* Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh profile at National Association of Attorneys General
* Press releases at Maryland Attorney General

* v
* t
* e

Government of Maryland

Executive|

* Governor (List)
* Lt. Governor
* Secretary of State
* Archives
* Aging
* Agriculture
* Commerce
* Education
* Environment
* General Services
* Health
* Housing & Community Development
* Labor
* Natural Resources
* Planning
* Transportation

Legislative|

* General Assembly
* Senate (Members, President)
* House of Delegates (Members, Speaker)

Judicial|

* Supreme Court (Justices)
* Appellate Court
* Circuit Court
* District Court

Constitutional offices|

* Comptroller
* Treasurer
* Attorney General
* Board of Public Works

Independent agencies|

* Commission on Human Relations
* Maryland Higher Education Commission
* Insurance Administration
* Lottery
* Office of Administrative Hearings
* Public Service Commission
* State Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy

* v
* t
* e

Maryland statewide elected officials

* Governor
* Lieutenant Governor
* Attorney General
* Comptroller

* v
* t
* e

Attorneys general of the United States

United States Attorney General: ▌Pam Bondi (R)

▌Steve Marshall (R)

▌Treg Taylor (R)

▌Kris Mayes (D)

▌Tim Griffin (R)

▌Rob Bonta (D)

▌Phil Weiser (D)

▌William Tong (D)

▌Kathy Jennings (D)

▌James Uthmeier (R)

▌Christopher M. Carr (R)

▌Anne E. Lopez (D)

▌Raúl Labrador (R)

▌Kwame Raoul (D)

▌Todd Rokita (R)

▌Brenna Bird (R)

▌Kris Kobach (R)

▌Russell Coleman (R)

▌Liz Murrill (R)

▌Aaron Frey (D)

▌Anthony Brown (D)

▌Andrea Campbell (D)

▌Dana Nessel (D)

▌Keith Ellison (DFL)

▌Lynn Fitch (R)

▌Andrew Bailey (R)

▌Austin Knudsen (R)

▌Mike Hilgers (R)

▌Aaron D. Ford (D)

▌John Formella (R)

▌Matt Platkin (D)

▌Raúl Torrez (D)

▌Letitia James (D)

▌Jeff Jackson (D)

▌Drew Wrigley (R)

▌Dave Yost (R)

▌Gentner Drummond (R)

▌Dan Rayfield (D)

▌Dave Sunday (R)

▌Peter Neronha (D)

▌Alan Wilson (R)

▌Marty Jackley (R)

▌Jonathan Skrmetti (R)

▌Ken Paxton (R)

▌Derek Brown (R)

▌Charity Clark (D)

▌Jason Miyares (R)

▌Nick Brown (D)

▌JB McCuskey (R)

▌Josh Kaul (D)

▌Bridget Hill (R)

Federal districts:

▌Brian Schwalb (D)

Territories:

▌Fainu'ulelei Alailima-Utu

▌Doug Moylan (R)

▌Ed Manibusan (D)

▌Janet Parra (PNP)*

▌Gordon Rhea

Political party affiliations

* ▌29 Republicans (28 states, 1 territory)
* ▌24 Democrats (22 states, 1 territory, 1 district)
* ▌1 New Progressive (1 territory)
* ▌2 Unknown (2 territories)
An asterisk (*) indicates that the officeholder is serving in an acting capacity.
State abbreviations link to position articles.

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