The Associate Attorney General is the third-ranking official in the United States Department of Justice

United States Department of Justice

The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...

. The Associate Attorney General advises and assists the Attorney General

United States Attorney General

The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. The attorney general is considered to be the chief lawyer of the U.S. government...

 and the Deputy Attorney General

United States Deputy Attorney General

United States Deputy Attorney General is the second-highest-ranking official in the United States Department of Justice. In the United States federal government, the Deputy Attorney General oversees the day-to-day operation of the Department of Justice, and may act as Attorney General during the...

 in policies relating to civil justice, federal and local law enforcement, and public safety matters. The Associate Attorney General is appointed by the President

President of the United States

The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

 and confirmed by the Senate

United States Senate

The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

. The incumbent Associate Attorney General is Thomas J. Perrelli

Thomas J. Perrelli

Thomas John Perrelli is an American lawyer and the United States Associate Attorney General. Perrelli also served as Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the United States in the late 1990s.-Early life:...

.

The Office of the Associate Attorney General oversees the Antitrust Division

United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division

The United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division is responsible for enforcing the antitrust laws of the United States. It shares jurisdiction over civil antitrust cases with the Federal Trade Commission and often works jointly with the FTC to provide regulatory guidance to businesses...

, the Civil Division

United States Department of Justice Civil Division

The United States Department of Justice Civil Division represents the United States, its departments and agencies, Members of Congress, Cabinet officers and other Federal employees...

, the Environment and Natural Resources Division

United States Department of Justice Environment and Natural Resources Division

The U.S. Department of Justice Environment and Natural Resources Division is one of seven litigating components of the United States Department of Justice...

, the Tax Division

United States Department of Justice Tax Division

The United States Department of Justice Tax Division is responsible for the prosecution of both civil and criminal cases arising under the Internal Revenue Code and other tax laws of the United States...

, the Office of Justice Programs

Office of Justice Programs

The Office of Justice Programs is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that focuses on crime prevention through research and development, assistance to state and local law enforcement and criminal justice agencies through grants, and assistance to crime victims.The major bureaus...

, the Community Oriented Policing Services, the Community Relations Service, the Office of Dispute Resolution, the Office of Violence Against Women, the Office of Information and Privacy, the Executive Office for United States Trustees, and the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission.

The Office of the Associate Attorney General was created on March 10, 1977 by Attorney General Order No. 699-77. Several recent former Associate Attorneys General include Jay B. Stephens, Acting Associate Attorney General Peter D. Keisler, Raymond C. Fisher

Raymond C. Fisher

Raymond C. Fisher is a federal appeals judge who has served on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit since 1999.-Education and legal training:Fisher attended University High School, earned his B.A...

, Stephen S. Trott

Stephen S. Trott

Stephen S. Trott is a Senior Circuit Judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Trott was nominated for this position by President Ronald Reagan on August 9, 1987 after the seat held by Joseph Tyree Sneed, III became vacant...

, Arnold I. Burns, Rudy Giuliani

Rudy Giuliani

Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....

, Robert McCallum, Jr.

Robert McCallum, Jr.

Robert D. McCallum. Jr. was the United States Ambassador to Australia. He was sworn into this position on 21 July 2006, after his appointment by President George W. Bush was confirmed by the United States Senate. He arrived in Australia on 18 August and presented his credentials to the...

, Frank Keating

Frank Keating

Francis Anthony "Frank" Keating is an American politician from Oklahoma. Keating served as the 25th Governor of Oklahoma. His first term began in 1995 and ended in 1999...

, Webster Hubbell

Webster Hubbell

Webster Lee "Web" Hubbell , is a former Arkansas lawyer and politician. He was a lawyer in Pulaski County before serving as Mayor of Little Rock from 1979 until he resigned in 1981. He was appointed by Bill Clinton as chief justice of Arkansas State Supreme Court in 1983...

 and Acting Associate Attorney General William W. Mercer

William W. Mercer

William W. Mercer is a United States Attorney for the District of Montana, as well as Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General for the United States Department of Justice. In September 2006, Mercer was nominated by George W...

.

On January 5, 2009, President-elect

President-elect of the United States

President-elect of the United States is the title used for an incoming President of the United States in the period between the general election on Election Day in November and noon eastern standard time on Inauguration Day, January 20, during which he is not in office yet...

 Barack Obama

Barack Obama

Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...

 nominated Thomas J. Perrelli

Thomas J. Perrelli

Thomas John Perrelli is an American lawyer and the United States Associate Attorney General. Perrelli also served as Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the United States in the late 1990s.-Early life:...

 as the 18th Associate Attorney General of the United States. He was confirmed by the United States Senate

United States Senate

The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

 in a 72-20 vote on March 12, 2009.

List of United States Associate Attorneys General

Name	Years in Office	Appointed By
Michael J. Egan	1977 – 1979	Carter
John H. Shenefield	1979 – 1981	Carter
Rudolph W. Giuliani Rudy Giuliani Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....	1981 – 1983	Reagan
D. Lowell Jensen Delwen Lowell Jensen Delwen Lowell Jensen is a United States federal judge.Born in Brigham City, Utah, Jensen received an A.B. from the University of California, Berkeley in 1949 and an LL.B. from the University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law in 1952. He was in the United States Army Corporal from...	1983 – 1985	Reagan
Arnold I. Burns	1985 – 1986	Reagan
Stephen S. Trott Stephen S. Trott Stephen S. Trott is a Senior Circuit Judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Trott was nominated for this position by President Ronald Reagan on August 9, 1987 after the seat held by Joseph Tyree Sneed, III became vacant...	1986 – 1988	Reagan
Frank Keating Frank Keating Francis Anthony "Frank" Keating is an American politician from Oklahoma. Keating served as the 25th Governor of Oklahoma. His first term began in 1995 and ended in 1999...	1988 – 1990	George H.W. Bush
vacant	1990 – 1992
Wayne Budd Wayne Budd Wayne Budd is senior executive vice president and general counsel, U.S., of John Hancock Financial Services, Inc., a division of Manulife Financial. He joined Hancock in 2000 and directs all of the company's legal activities.Before joining Hancock, Mr...	1992 – 1993	George H.W. Bush
Webster Hubbell Webster Hubbell Webster Lee "Web" Hubbell , is a former Arkansas lawyer and politician. He was a lawyer in Pulaski County before serving as Mayor of Little Rock from 1979 until he resigned in 1981. He was appointed by Bill Clinton as chief justice of Arkansas State Supreme Court in 1983...	1993 – 1994	Clinton
John R. Schmidt John Schmidt John Schmidt was United States Associate Attorney General from 1994 to 1997 under President Bill Clinton. He has risen to small fame of late for his support of President George W...	1994 – 1997	Clinton
Raymond C. Fisher Raymond C. Fisher Raymond C. Fisher is a federal appeals judge who has served on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit since 1999.-Education and legal training:Fisher attended University High School, earned his B.A...	1997 – 1999	Clinton
Daniel Marcus	1999 – 2001	Clinton
Jay B. Stephens	2001 – 2002	George W. Bush
Peter D. Keisler *	2002 – 2003	George W. Bush
Robert McCallum, Jr. Robert McCallum, Jr. Robert D. McCallum. Jr. was the United States Ambassador to Australia. He was sworn into this position on 21 July 2006, after his appointment by President George W. Bush was confirmed by the United States Senate. He arrived in Australia on 18 August and presented his credentials to the...	2003 – 2006	George W. Bush
William W. Mercer William W. Mercer William W. Mercer is a United States Attorney for the District of Montana, as well as Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General for the United States Department of Justice. In September 2006, Mercer was nominated by George W...  *	2006 – 2007	George W. Bush
Kevin J. O'Connor Kevin J. O'Connor (attorney) Kevin J. O'Connor is an attorney appointed by President George W. Bush and unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate as Connecticut’s 48th United States Attorney in 2002. From January to April 2006, O'Connor served as Associate Deputy Attorney General of the United States. In 2007, O'Connor...	2008 – 2009	George W. Bush
Thomas J. Perrelli Thomas J. Perrelli Thomas John Perrelli is an American lawyer and the United States Associate Attorney General. Perrelli also served as Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the United States in the late 1990s.-Early life:...	2009 – present	Obama
* Acting Associate Attorney General