Detailed Roadmap to Core Readings

States are quite different structurally from the federal government because most of them reject the federal model in favor of the divided executive, with only 2 (AK and WY) following the federal model in which the governor can select and fire the AG. The governor, the AG, and others all exercise executive power. The Feeney and Deukmejian cases are the two leading approaches on what happens when the governor and AG disagree. Reasonable people can advocate for whatever approach they think is preferable. The Marshall article describes this issue in some historical detail. The DE article shows why it matters if the AG thinks the client is the public interest instead of the state agency.  

The following trio of recent cases (Cameron, Berger, and Holcomb) suggest the old ways could be changing and the notion that the AG usually gets to call the shots may not be true tomorrow. The question is whether change is afoot and whether it should be.

In considering the generic AG organizational chart, the following questions for these various positions should be answered -- what type of person would take this job, what are the skills they need for that job, what is their life-work balance, what is their next job, and what are the implications for their view on "who is the client"? This new-found knowledge can be put into practice with a fast-moving hypo entitled "Who is the Client?"