Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Justice
Executive Order 2017-06971
|Signed on April 1, 2017
45th Presidency
What it means
Establishes a succession plan for the Attorney General position, naming specific U.S. Attorneys who would take over if the Attorney General and other top Justice Department officials are unavailable. This replaces a previous order from February 2017.
Expected impact
- Provides greater clarity and stability in Department of Justice leadership during potential crises or transitions
- Ensures continuity of operations at DOJ by clearly defining who would lead the department if top officials become unavailable
- Strengthens government preparedness by establishing a specific chain of command for one of the most critical law enforcement positions in the federal government