The Attorney General of the State of Maryland is the chief legal officer of the U.S. state of Maryland, serving as the state's primary prosecutor and legal representative.
The current attorney general is Anthony Brown, who was elected in 2022 and has served since 2023.
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Selection and qualifications
Like most state attorneys general, the attorney general is elected by statewide vote every four years. The officeholder serves a four-year term and is eligible for re-election with no term limits. As with all statewide offices in Maryland, the attorney general is elected on even-numbered years when there is no election for the president of the United States.
To run for the office, a person must be a citizen of and qualified voter in Maryland and must have lived and practiced law in the state for at least ten years. If the office becomes vacant, the Governor appoints a replacement to serve the remainder of the term.
Functions and responsibilities
The attorney general has general charge, supervision and direction of the legal business of the State. The main constitutional duties of the attorney general are to enforce the rule of law and to provide legal counsel and representation to the state of Maryland.
The attorney general is the legal advisor and representative of the governor, the General Assembly, the judiciary, and all state departments, various boards, commissions, officials, and institutions of state government. Notably, the governor cannot employ additional legal counsel without legislative authorization.
The office consists of fourteen Central Divisions and fifty-six state agency client units. The office provides written legal opinions interpreting state law to the General Assembly, the governor, and other state and local elected officials. Administrative rules and regulations promulgated by state agencies, and bills passed by the General Assembly, are reviewed by the office and defended in court when necessary.
Litigation
The attorney general and assistant attorneys general represent the state of Maryland in all legal cases. This includes representing the state before the Maryland Circuit Courts, the Appellate Court of Maryland, the Supreme Court of Maryland, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, and in the United States Supreme Court.
The attorney general represents state agencies, officials, and employees in civil lawsuits and defends the constitutionality of state laws when challenged.
Law enforcement
The attorney general is charged with the enforcement of various laws and to investigate and prosecute a broad range of criminal acts occurring against and within state government.
The Criminal Division investigates and prosecutes crimes by state employees, fraud against the state, public corruption, gun trafficking, and organized or multi-jurisdictional crimes.
Established by the General Assembly in 2021, the Independent Investigations Division investigates police-involved deaths or critical injuries that occur in Maryland. Since October 1, 2023, the Division has the authority to prosecute involved law enforcement officers.
The attorney general is charged with providing assistance to local state's attorneys when they require additional resources or specialized expertise, or when directed by the governor or General Assembly.
Consumer and public protection
The Consumer Protection Division offers mediation between complainants and businesses, investigates and prosecutes illegal business practices, and registers home builders and health clubs. The division also provides educational materials for Maryland residents.
The attorney general may bring an action to restrain a foreign limited liability company from doing business in this state.
The attorney general may obtain a court order prohibiting the guarantor or service contract provider from further violations in this state.
The Securities Division protects Maryland investors from fraud, and administers the Maryland Securities Act, Franchise Registration and Disclosure Law, and Business Opportunities Sales Act.
The Medicaid Fraud and Vulnerable Victims Unit investigates and prosecutes healthcare provider Medicaid fraud, waste, and abuse.
Board and commission memberships
By law, the attorney general, or his or her designee, serves on the School Safety Subcabinet and chairs the Maryland Cybersecurity Council, the Commission on Hate Crimes Response and Prevention, and the Maryland Sexual Assault Evidence Kit Policy and Funding Committee.
Notable actions
Tobacco Master Settlement
Maryland was the eighth state to sue the major tobacco manufacturers over the
public health costs of smoking. Under Attorney General J. Joseph Curran Jr.,
the state joined the 1998 Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement, under which
the four largest cigarette makers agreed to pay Maryland more than $4 billion
over 25 years, beginning with an initial payment of $54 million.
Litigation against the first Trump administration
Until 2017, Maryland law required the attorney general to obtain permission from
the governor or General Assembly before suing the federal government, a
requirement dating to the office's restoration under the Constitution of 1864.
In February 2017, after Governor Larry Hogan did not respond to Attorney
General Brian Frosh's request to challenge the Trump administration's
travel ban, the General Assembly passed the Maryland Defense Act of 2017, a
joint resolution granting the attorney general independent authority to sue the
federal government.
Frosh subsequently joined or filed more than 20 lawsuits against the federal
government by late 2018, on subjects including the 2020 census citizenship
question, environmental rollbacks, and immigration policy.
In District of Columbia and Maryland v. Trump (2017), Frosh and D.C.
Attorney General Karl Racine alleged that President Trump's business
holdings violated the Constitution's foreign and
domestic emoluments clauses; the case was
Archdiocese of Baltimore report
In April 2023, following a four-year grand jury investigation begun under
Frosh in 2018, Attorney General Anthony
Brown released a report finding that 156 clergy and other personnel of the
Archdiocese of Baltimore had sexually abused more than 600 children from
the 1940s through 2002, and that archdiocese leadership had failed to report
allegations or remove abusers.
In April 2026, the Supreme Court of Maryland ruled that the state could not
publicly identify individuals named in the report who had not been
indicted.
Litigation against the second Trump administration
Brown first sued the second Trump administration on January 21, 2025, the day
after the president's inauguration, joining a multistate suit challenging an executive order ending
birthright citizenship for
children of undocumented immigrants. As of
May 2026, Brown had filed or joined 62 lawsuits against the administration,
typically in coalitions of Democratic state attorneys general, on subjects
including federal funding conditions, immigration enforcement, and education
policy.
Critics, including Maryland Republicans, have characterized the volume of
litigation as politically motivated.