The Tennessee Attorney General (officially, Attorney General and Reporter) is a position within the Tennessee state government. The Attorney General is the chief law enforcement officer and lawyer for Tennessee. Unlike any other state, the Tennessee Attorney General is an officer of the judicial branch, being appointed by the justices of the Tennessee Supreme Court, rather than the Governor, or being elected by popular vote or vote of the legislature, for a term of eight years. The current office holder is Herbert Slatery, who was appointed by the Tennessee Supreme Court for an eight-year term in 2014 to fill that position. His service officially began with his swearing in by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam, a close personal friend whom he had previously served as legal counsel, on October 1, 2014.