The mission of the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) is to enforce the laws of the District of Columbia and to provide legal services to the District government.

Summary of Services

The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) is charged with conducting the District’s legal business. OAG represents the District in virtually all civil and commercial litigation, prosecutes certain criminal offenses, has sole jurisdiction over juvenile prosecutions, and represents the District in a variety of administrative hearings and other proceedings. In addition, OAG is responsible for advising the Executive Office of the Mayor, the District Council, and various Boards and Commissions, and for determining legal sufficiency on proposed legislation, regulations, and commercial transactions. All told, the Attorney General supervises the legal work of about 272 attorneys and an additional 315 administrative/professional staff.

On November 2, 2010, 76 percent of District voters, acting by referendum, approved a Council-enacted amendment to the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to make, for the first time, the Attorney General of the District of Columbia an elected office. The Council also enacted amendments to local District law designed to establish the OAG as an independent agency.  Previously, the Attorney General had been appointed by, and operated under the direction of, the Mayor.  The overall purpose of the Attorney General Act and the attendant changes to Home Rule Act was to elevate and strengthen the position of Attorney General, ensure the position’s independence, and significantly enhance the Attorney General’s ability to serve the interests of the District of Columbia in an objective and independent fashion. 

In 2015, the newly independent OAG has responded to numerous requests for opinions and has provided independent and objective legal advice to the Mayor, Council, District agencies, and the residents of the District on a broad range of issues, including Initiative 71, budget autonomy, educational initiatives directed at improving academic outcomes for boys of color, and a host of other legal, ethical, and regulatory matters. 

OAG lawyers and staff have successfully defended the District and its agencies in several significant court cases, generating $21.5 million for the District’s treasury through a settlement with Standard & Poor’s Rating Service (arising from allegations that Standard & Poor’s misled investors regarding its ratings of structured-finance securities during the run-up to the 2008 financial crisis).  The OAG has also provided objective analysis of the legal sufficiency of proposed legislation and has counseled the District in disposition of property and other important business transactions. 

OAG has identified the following 4 budget initiatives:

• Consumer Protection and Community Outreach – increases OAG’s capacity to protect residents by going after and prosecuting unscrupulous persons and businesses that choose to disregard applicable District and federal law and prey on the District’s most vulnerable residents;
• Affordable Housing Protection and Enforcement – provides OAG with the capacity to vigorously protect the rights of homeowners and tenants by enforcing the legal requirements for creating and preserving affordable housing in the District of Columbia;
• Public Safety and Criminal Justice, Protecting Children and Families, and Juvenile Rehabilitation – increases OAG’s capacity to litigate criminal cases on behalf of the District, protect the public, rehabilitate juvenile offenders, and provide assistance to victims of crimes; and
• Protecting Taxpayers, Workers, and Enforcing Honest Government – ensures that employers, contractors, and government officials discharge their duties in an ethical and professional manner so that taxpayers and residents benefit and local, small and disadvantaged businesses can fairly compete for contracts under the law.

OAG has focused on the dual goals of ensuring that it continues to provide high-quality legal representation to the District of Columbia and District agencies while simultaneously creating programs to address the needs of District residents in new and creative ways.