Joseph McKenna served as U.S. attorney general from 1897 to 1898 under President William McKinley. McKenna's term as attorney general was brief because the president appointed him the Supreme Court. In a long legal and political career, McKenna also served as a prosecutor and a congressman.

McKenna was born on August 10, 1843 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As a young man he moved to California with his family. When he decided to become a lawyer, McKenna did not attend law school. Instead, he joined a local law firm and served a legal apprenticeship. This type of legal education was common at the time, with McKenna performing clerical duties, reading case law and receiving instruction from his lawyer employer. After several years of "reading the law," McKenna passed the California bar examination in 1865. Within a year McKenna had been elected the Solano County district attorney.

McKenna became interested in politics and served from...