Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Justice
•
Presidential Document
Executive Order
Executive Order 14136: Order of Succession Within the Department of Justice
On January 3, 2025, the President issued Executive Order 14136, establishing a new order of succession for the Department of Justice. This order outlines the officials who will assume the role of Attorney General if the current Attorney General and other designated officers are unable to perform their duties. The order also revokes a previous executive order from 2017 and clarifies the limitations and exceptions to the succession plan.
- The order of succession is activated if the Attorney General and other designated officers are unable to perform their duties.
- The succession list includes U.S. Attorneys from the Southern District of New York, District of Arizona, Northern District of Illinois, and District of Hawaii.
- Individuals serving in an acting capacity in these roles cannot act as Attorney General under this order.
- The President retains the discretion to deviate from this order when designating an acting Attorney General.
- Executive Order 13787 from March 31, 2017, is revoked by this new order.
- The order does not create any enforceable rights or benefits against the U.S. government.
Summary last updated: January 20, 2025
Original Text
Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 7 (Monday, January 13, 2025)
[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 7 (Monday, January 13, 2025)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 2581-2582]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-00611]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 7 / Monday, January 13, 2025 /
Presidential Documents
[[Page 2581]]
Executive Order 14136 of January 3, 2025
Providing an Order of Succession Within the
Department of Justice
By the authority vested in me as President by the
Constitution and the laws of the United States of
America, including the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of
1998, as amended, 5 U.S.C. 3345 et seq. (the ``Act''),
it is hereby ordered that:
Section 1. Order of Succession. Subject to the
provisions of section 2 of this order, and to the
limitations set forth in the Act, the following
officials of the Department of Justice, in the order
listed, shall act as and perform the functions and
duties of the office of Attorney General during any
period in which the Attorney General, the Deputy
Attorney General, the Associate Attorney General, and
any officers designated by the Attorney General
pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 508 to act as Attorney General
have died, resigned, or otherwise become unable to
perform the functions and duties of the office of
Attorney General, until such time as at least one of
the officers mentioned above is able to perform the
functions and duties of that office:
(a) United States Attorney for the Southern
District of New York;
(b) United States Attorney for the District of
Arizona;
(c) United States Attorney for the Northern
District of Illinois; and
(d) United States Attorney for the District of
Hawaii.
Sec. 2. Exceptions. (a) No individual who is serving in
an office listed in section 1(a)-(d) of this order in
an acting capacity shall, by virtue of so serving, act
as Attorney General pursuant to this order.
(b) No individual who is serving in an office
listed in section 1(a)-(d) of this order shall act as
Attorney General unless that individual is otherwise
eligible to so serve under the Act.
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of this order,
the President retains discretion, to the extent
permitted by law, to depart from this order in
designating an acting Attorney General.
Sec. 3. Revocation. Executive Order 13787 of March 31,
2017 (Providing an Order of Succession Within the
Department of Justice), is hereby revoked.
Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order
shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or
the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget
relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with
applicable law and subject to the availability of
appropriations.
[[Page 2582]]
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not,
create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural,
enforceable at law or in equity by any party against
the United States, its departments, agencies, or
entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any
other person.
(Presidential Sig.)
THE WHITE HOUSE,
January 3, 2025.
[FR Doc. 2025-00611
Filed 1-10-25; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F4-P