Other LanguagesDoe v. Reed briefs celebrated; McKenna’s chief deputy receives Marvin Award
SEATTLE – Four members of Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna’s office have received prestigious national awards for their public service. The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) held its summer meeting in Seattle this week. On Wednesday, officials presented awards to members of McKenna’s Solicitor General’s Office and to his chief deputy.
The Solicitor General’s Office handles, among other matters, cases before the state and United States Supreme Courts. Solicitor General Marnie Hart and Deputy Solicitors General Bill Collins and Anne Egeler received NAAG’s Best Brief award for their work on the Doe v. Reed case. The case, pending before the U.S. Supreme Court, involves a challenge to the state’s open records law.
“I’m proud that these fine attorneys have been recognized for their incredible ability to pen persuasive arguments in cases before the United States Supreme Court,” McKenna said. “Hart, Collins and Egeler are truly the state’s dream team of appellate attorneys.”
Solicitor General Hart has worked at the AG’s office since 1978. Deputy Solicitor General Collins began in 1977 and Deputy Solicitor General Egeler joined in 1990.
The Best Brief Awards are chosen for their usefulness as models for states preparing cases before the nation’s highest court. The documents were judged by a panel of independent, leading Supreme Court experts.
Also at the summer meeting, Chief Deputy Brian Moran was selected for NAAG’s Marvin Award. The award, named for NAAG’s first executive director, is given to those who have notably furthered the goals of cooperation and coordination among NAAG members.
“So much of what state attorneys general are able to achieve, including multi-state lawsuits and the pursuit of changes to federal law, comes from a team effort. But that can’t happen without the leadership of incredible individuals like Brian,” McKenna said.
Moran, who has served at the Attorney General’s Office for 13 years, served on the NAAG Executive Director Screening and Selection committees and co-founded the Chief Deputies Tobacco Working Group. The group assists attorneys general in the enforcement of the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) between tobacco companies and 46 states. Enforcement includes payments to compensate the states for the health care costs of smoking.
“It is in the area of tobacco and the MSA that Brian has had the greatest impact, both as a lawyer and a leader," Maryland Attorney General Douglas Gansler said.
Elections were held June 16 during NAAG’s summer meeting. AG Rob McKenna was formally chosen president-elect. He will become NAAG president in summer, 2011.
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Contacts:
Janelle Guthrie, AGO Communications Director, (360) 586-0725