Tennessee Attorney General
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The Tennessee Attorney General is the chief law enforcement officer and lawyer for the state of Tennessee. Unlike other states, the attorney general is an officer of the judicial branch and is appointed by the justices of the Tennessee Supreme Court, not by the governor.
The current officeholder is Robert E. Cooper, Jr..
Divisions
The office of the attorney general is composed of _ divisions:
- Administrative Division: handles administrative, fiscal, and purchasing matters for the office.
- Antitrust Division: enforces state and federal antitrust laws.
- Bankruptcy Division: includes all agencies of state government with claims against debtors in bankruptcy.
- Civil Litigation and State Services Division: represents the state's various educational agencies and institutions, the departments of General Services, Personnel, the Civil Service Commission, the Human Rights Commission and the State Building Commission. It is also responsible for reviewing state contracts and representing the state in employment and construction litigation.
- Civil Rights and Claims Division: defends tort and workers' compensation actions filed against all departments and agencies of state government. The division also defends state employees of various departments sued in civil rights actions for money damages.
- Consumer Advocate and Protection Division: may intervene to represent the public interest in matters pending before the Tennessee Regulatory Authority. It also represents the Division of Consumer Affairs in investigations and litigation and the Charitable Solicitations Division of the Secretary of State's Office. It handles unauthorized practice of law.
- Criminal Division: handles all appeals from state criminal convictions and habeas corpus actions filed on behalf of inmates and interstate rendition.
- Environmental Division: enforces environmental protection laws regarding clean air, clean water, hazardous waste and other areas.
- Financial Division: handles issues of government financing and represents the departments of Financial Institutions, Finance and Administration and Commerce and Insurance.
- General Civil Division: represents the departments of Human Services, Mental Health and Mental Retardation, Labor, Agriculture and Employment Security. It also represents the Tennessee Housing Development Agency, the Fire Marshal's Office and the Department of Military.
- Health Care Division: represents the Department of Health, TennCare and Health Related Boards.
- Law Enforcement and Special Prosecution Division: is responsible for the prosecution of civil and criminal enforcement cases in the areas of securities fraud, environmental law, official corruption and related white collar fraud. The division represents the Alcoholic Beverage Commission, Comptroller's Office, Commerce and Insurance, District Attorneys General Conference, Financial Institutions, Environment and Conservation, Safety and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
- Real Property and Transportation Division: represents the Department of Transportation generally, and represents the state of Tennessee in land acquisition for all purposes.
- Special Litigation Division: handles special litigation or assists other divisions in litigation matters. The Collections unit enforces the collection of penalties assessed by other state departments and agencies.
- Tax Division: represents the Department of Revenue, the Tennessee Regulatory Authority, the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System and the regulatory boards of the Department of Commerce and Insurance.
- Tobacco Enforcement Division: enforces the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement and handles tobacco related matters such as the escrow statute.
Contact information
Office of the Attorney General
P.O. Box 20207
Nashville, TN 37202-0207
Phone:615-741-3491
See also
- Tennessee Attorney General Robert E. Cooper, Jr.
- Tennessee Governor
- Tennessee Lieutenant Governor
- Tennessee Secretary of State
External links
- Office of the Tennessee Attorney General
- Divisions within the office of the Tennessee Attorney General
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