The Attorney General of North Carolina is the hea of the state's Department of Justice and provides legal representation and advice to all state agencies. He or she does not have the authority to prosecute specific crimes unless requested to do so by a local district attorney. In the public interest, the Attorney General may intervene in proceedings before any courts, regulatory officers, agencies or bodies — either state or federal — on behalf of the consuming public of the state. The Attorney General also renders legal opinions, either formally or informally, upon all questions of law submitted by the General Assembly, the Governor or any other state officer.