An attorney general is any attorney that functions as the main legal adviser to the government. Attorney generals represent the state in criminal manners, they are the highest ranking county, state, or federal prosecutor. Attorney generals are under the authority of the executive branch’s department of justice. The attorney general of the Federal Department of Justice is Eric Holder. He is the chief legal adviser of the President of the United States and is responsible for setting the standards of legal policies at the federal level of jurisdiction. Federal attorneys general are appointed by the President of the United States but most attorneys general, at the state level, are elected. The fact that attorney generals are elected gives the position a political dynamic in the pursuit of addressing public crime issues.