The office of Attorney General of Louisiana existed from the colonial period to the present. Under Article IV, Section 8 of the Constitution of Louisiana, the Attorney General is elected statewide for a four-year term and is the chief legal officer of the state. Additionally, "the attorney general shall have authority (1) to institute, prosecute, or intervene in any civil action or proceeding; (2) upon the written request of a district attorney, to advise and assist in the prosecution of any criminal case; and (3) for cause, when authorized by the court which would have original jurisdiction and subject to judicial review, (a) to institute, prosecute, or intervene in any criminal action or proceeding, or (b) to supersede any attorney representing the state in any civil or criminal action.
The attorney general shall exercise other powers and perform other duties authorized by this constitution or by law."
The current Attorney General, Jeff Landry has been in office since 2016.