The roots of the Office of State Attorney General run deep in American jurisprudence. All 13 American colonies had an Attorney General and today all 50 States and the District of Columbia have opted to provide legal services through an Office of State Attorney General.

Each office possesses broad jurisdiction and -- to varying degrees -- is independent from the executive and the legislative branch of state government. Attorneys general in 43 states and the District of Columbia are elected statewide on a partisan basis. The combination of sweeping jurisdiction and constitutional independence has given rise to a unique American legal institution of growing importance.

The casebook covers the day-to-day challenges faced by attorneys general and their staffs in delivering the legal advice that will guide state government in a constitutional and ethical manner. The course also covers the relationship of attorneys general with governors, state legislatures and agencies, the federal government, the private bar, and a myriad of advocacy organizations. It focuses on both day-to-day responsibilities and on some of the most controversial legal issues affecting society today. Although attorneys general are often in the news litigating both in favor and in opposition to Presidential policies, the focus of this Syllabus is not on suing or defending a President.

Although each state is unique, the course demonstrates the remarkable congruence that exists among state attorneys general when addressing similar challenges and issues. The course is weighted toward those decisions by attorneys general that reflect their independent status, which is most often revealed when attorneys general assert that governors, legislatures, other elected officials, state agencies or the federal government exceed their constitutional or statutory authority. The course also considers the unique ethics issues that attorneys general and their staff must confront.

This Syllabus contains federal and state statutes and case law, law review and descriptive articles from a variety of sources, and hypotheticals that describe the nature and function of the Office of State Attorney General. The numerous hypotheticals are drawn from actual cases that, because of their nature, have not been studied or, in most cases, ever made public. All materials have been collected from over 40 years of studying and participating in the decision making of attorneys general and their staffs.

Readings that are marked “supplemental reading" are optional resources that enable students to take a deeper dive into that week’s topic. At least one student will be assigned the supplemental readings for each week.

In anticipation of the first UCLA Law class, all students are required to watch this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeNZ6_Vzy7I&feature=emb_title): A Brief Introduction to the World of State Attorneys General. The video, which is just over 15 minutes in length, is a wonderful overview of the office by one of the leading experts in attorney general law.