Executive Office
The attorney general is assisted by a chief deputy, solicitor general, chief policy deputy, and chief of staff. Organizationally, the office is divided into 17 divisions.
The chief deputy coordinates and supervises the work of the office, including review of substantive work and general management of the office. The chief policy deputy supervises special projects, oversees legislative matters and external communications, and coordinates multistate policy initiatives with the National Association of Attorneys General.
The solicitor general supervises the drafting of formal opinions before submission to the attorney general. He heads the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) which oversees and coordinates all appellate litigation practice in the Tennessee Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and Court of Criminal Appeals and the United States Supreme Court and Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
The chief of staff is a principal contact with the legislature, the National Association of Attorneys General and works with the director of communications in handling media inquiries.
Divisions
Administrative Division: Ruth A. Thompson, Deputy
The Administrative Division is the internal support division of the office. Its responsibilities include hiring, budget and fiscal matters, purchasing, information systems, library services, personnel, facilities management, and records management.
Bankruptcy Division: Kathryn Behm Celauro, Deputy
The Bankruptcy Division represents state agencies in bankruptcy courts across the country. Specifically, it represents the state’s interest by filing proofs of claims and administrative claims in bankruptcy cases where a state entity is owed a debt.
Civil Litigation and State Services Division: Kevin Steiling, Deputy
This division represents the state’s various educational agencies and institutions and deals with state purchasing and personnel matters. It represents the state in employment and construction litigation along with reviewing state contracts.
Civil Rights and Claims Division: Kimberly J. Dean, Deputy
This division defends tort and workers’ compensation actions filed against all departments and agencies of state government. The division also defends state employees of various departments sued in civil rights actions for money damages.
Consumer Advocate and Protection Division: Cynthia E. Kinser (Mills), Deputy
This division consists of two teams: Consumer Advocate and Consumer Protection. The Consumer Protection team protects consumers and businesses from unfair and deceptive trade practices, enforces state and federal antitrust laws, and enforces the Unauthorized Practice of Law statutes. The Consumer Advocate team represents the interests of Tennessee consumers of public utilities services.
Criminal Justice Division: Amy L. Tarkington, Deputy
The Criminal Justice Division handles any interlocutory or extraordinary appeals that arise in the course of criminal prosecutions. After criminal judgments are entered in the trial courts, the division handles all direct appeals and all post-conviction appeals. In state and federal habeas corpus proceedings, the Criminal Justice Division defends criminal judgments in both the trial and appellate courts. The division's defense of criminal judgments includes defending capital cases in state appellate and federal collateral review.
Environmental Division: Barry Turner, Deputy
This division enforces civil environmental protection laws regarding clean air, clean water, hazardous waste, and other areas. The division also gives advice to and reviews regulations for the Department of Environment and Conservation and represents the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
Financial Division: Gina J. Barham, Deputy
The Financial Division provides legal services for much of the State’s business-related activities such as investments of the State Treasury and the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System. The division represents a number of agencies handling issues of government financing, banking, and insurance regulation.
General Civil Division: Dianne Stamey Dycus, Deputy
The General Civil Division handles a wide variety of civil matters representing a number of state departments, boards and agencies including the Departments of Children’s Services, Human Services, Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities, Labor and Workforce Development, Agriculture, Tourism, Veterans Affairs, and Military.
Health Care Division: Linda A. Ross, Deputy
The Health Care Division primarily provides legal advice and representation to the Bureau of TennCare and the Department of Health and its health-related boards such as the Board of Dentistry, the Board of Medical Examiners, the Board of Nursing, and the Board of Optometry along with the Health Services Development Agency.
Law Enforcement and Special Prosecutions Division: Michael A. Meyer, Deputy
This division handles criminal prosecution enforcement cases such as securities fraud and environmental law violations in addition to assisting the state’s district attorneys in similar prosecutions. The division also handles false claims act matters with a particular focus on health care fraud and some civil enforcement matters such as forfeitures.
Public Interest Division: Janet M. Kleinfelter, Deputy
Created in 2009, this division carries out the office´s statutory duty to oversee the operation of nonprofit entities on behalf of Tennesseans. The division also handles charitable oversight and charitable solicitations as well as issues involving open meetings, public records, and campaigns and elections.
Real Property and Transportation Division: Larry Teague, Deputy
This division represents the state of Tennessee in land acquisition for all purposes. Most of the work performed by the division involves the Tennessee Department of Transportation. In addition to Nashville, the Real Property Division has regional offices in Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Jackson.
Special Litigation Division: Steven A. Hart, Special Counsel
This division handles special litigation and assists other divisions in litigation matters.
Special Litigation Division - Collections: Vincent Williams, Deputy
The Collections Unit collects penalties and other debts owed to state departments and agencies.
Tax Division: Charles L. Lewis, Deputy
The Tax Division represents a wide variety of agencies including the Department of Revenue, the Board of Professional Responsibility, the Board of Law Examiners, the Commission on Continuing Legal Education, the Tennessee Regulatory Authority, the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System, and many of the regulatory boards of the Department of Commerce and Insurance.
Tobacco Enforcement Division: John H. Sinclair, Jr., Deputy
The Tobacco Enforcement Division enforces the provisions of the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement and handles other tobacco-related matters.
