Louisiana Attorney General is New NAAG President

Washington, DC — Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry was elected president of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) during its Summer Meeting, June 19-21 in Portland, Oregon. The leadership transition of NAAG, whose members are the 56 state and territory attorneys general, took place last night.

“I am thankful the nation’s chief legal officers have bestowed this tremendous honor upon me. As NAAG president, I will work tirelessly to strengthen our sense of community and collegiality,” said Attorney General Landry, whose NAAG term runs today through December 2019.

Attorney General Landry said his 2018-2019 NAAG Presidential Initiative will focus on emergency and crisis management issues.

“Every state and territory has dealt with natural disasters, mass violence, or terror. In each of those situations – we have had issues involving welfare, health care, energy, communications and more. I am optimistic that my initiative will offer resources and emergency plans that protect the people we serve,” he said.

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt concluded his 2017-2018 NAAG presidential term by acknowledging the work done on the year-long initiative, “Protecting America’s Seniors: Attorneys General United Against Elder Abuse.”

“I am grateful to my colleagues for giving me the opportunity to lead our organization this past year,” said Attorney General Schmidt. “I am especially proud of the work we have done this year related to protecting senior citizens from abuse, and look forward to the continued efforts that have been spurred by our attention.”

In other NAAG leadership news, Montana Attorney General Tim Fox was elected President-Elect, District of Columbia Attorney General Karl A. Racine was elected Vice President, and Attorney General Schmidt became Immediate Past President for the 2018-2019 term.

The Association also announced its annual award winners:

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan was the recipient of the Kelley-Wyman Award, the Association’s most prestigious honor given annually to the attorney general who has done the most to achieve NAAG objectives.

The Attorney General Senior Staff Member of the Year Award, given to those who have provided exceptional service to NAAG and the attorneys general through exemplary leadership, expertise and achievement, was awarded to Chief Deputy Attorney General Patricia Conners of the Florida Attorney General’s Office and Deputy Attorney General Perry Zinn Rowthorn of the Connecticut Attorney General’s Office.

The Attorney General Career Staff of the Year Award was awarded to Lori Farris, outreach coordinator in the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office and Stuart Segrest, assistant attorney general in the Montana Department of Justice. 

The National Attorneys General Training and Research Institute (NAGTRI), a NAAG branch, honored Assistant Attorney General Vernon Harris with the Arizona Attorney General’s Office and Consumer Protection Division Chief Paul Singer in the Texas Attorney General’s Office with the NAGTRI Faculty of the Year Award. This award is given annually to faculty members who have significantly contributed to developing and presenting quality legal training for their counterparts in attorneys general offices.

Individuals from six state AG offices were recognized for excellence in brief writing for the U.S. Supreme Court. Recipients of the 2018 NAAG Supreme Court Best Brief Awards are:

Colorado: Merits brief in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. The brief was written by Solicitor General Fred Yarger, Deputy Attorney General Vincent Morscher, Deputy Solicitor General Glenn Roper, and Assistant Attorneys General Stacy Worthington and Grant Sullivan.

Georgia: Merits brief in Wilson v. Sellers. The brief was written by Solicitor General Sarah Hawkins Warren and Deputy Solicitor General Andrew Pinson.

Illinois: Merits brief in Janus v. AFSCME. The authors of the brief were Solicitor General David Franklin, Deputy Solicitor General Brett Legner, and Assistant Attorneys General Frank Bieszczat, Jane Flanagan, Sarah Hunger, Richard Huszagh, Lindsay Beyer Payne, and Andrew Tonelli.

Ohio: Merits brief in Ohio v. American Express Company. The brief was written by State Solicitor Eric Murphy, Chief Deputy Solicitor Michael Hendershot, and Deputy Solicitor Hannah Wilson.

Washington: Cert petition in Washington v. United States. The petition was written by Solicitor General Noah Purcell, Deputy Solicitor General Jay Geck, and Assistant Attorney General Fronda Woods.

Wisconsin: Merits brief in Gill v. Whitford. The brief was written by Solicitor General Misha Tseytlin, Chief Deputy Solicitor General Ryan Walsh, Deputy Solicitor General Kevin LeRoy, Assistant Solicitor General Amy Miller, and Assistant Attorney General Brian Keenan.

The Francis X. Bellotti Award, given to a former attorney general who has served the Society of Attorneys General Emeritus (SAGE) and worked diligently to further SAGE’s vision and mission, was presented to former Ohio Attorney General Betty Montgomery.

The Association elects its officers through geographical rotation by region. Election of the four officers—president, president-elect, vice president and immediate past president—will next take place in December 2019.

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