Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel November 14, 2018 (Designating an Acting Attorney General)

(Slip Opinion)

Designating an Acting Attorney General

The President’s designation of a senior Department of Justice official to serve as Acting

Attorney General was expressly authorized by the Vacancies Reform Act. That act is

available to the President even though the Department’s organic statute prescribes an

alternative succession mechanism for the office of Attorney General.