William Pinkney served as U.S. attorney general from 1811 to 1814 under President James Madison. Pinkney also served in an number of government positions and was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1788.

Pinkney was born on March 17, 1764 in Annapolis, Maryland. Although he originally intended to study medicine, he was convinced by a prominent lawyer to join the legal profession. At this time most lawyers did not attend school for their legal education. Pinkney, like so many others, served a legal apprenticeship, performing clerical duties, reading cases, and receiving instruction from an attorney. In 1786, after he was admitted to the Maryland. Pinkney established a law practice in a rural part of the state.

However, Pinkney had political aspirations as well. He was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 1788 and quickly made a name for himself as a gifted and influential legislator. He was sent as a delegate...