Dear Friends,
Last month, our entire office gathered at the Idaho State Capitol for our annual Office Wide Meeting. Every November, we bring everyone together to look back on the year’s work and recognize the people who made it happen.
My Chief of Staff Phil Skinner kicked things off with updates from every division on this past year’s work. Criminal prosecutions, consumer protection, defending Idaho’s water rights and natural resources, civil litigation. The breadth of what our office handles can surprise people. I spoke to the team about the major legal victories we’ve won and the fights still ahead to protect Idaho’s laws and sovereignty. We’ll be sending a newsletter in the coming weeks with a full year-in-review so you can see those victories and ongoing battles for yourselves. I also thanked our team for their hard work and service to Idaho this past year.
Another great part of these annual meetings is when we get to honor the members of our team who’ve dedicated years of their careers to serving Idahoans. We presented service awards to employees who have been with the Office of Attorney General for 5, 10, 15, 20, and even 25 years. Some have served under multiple attorneys general, through changing administrations and shifting priorities. Their commitment to Idaho hasn’t wavered.
When considering the years that many of our team have been with the office it’s important to keep in mind that our attorneys could very well earn more in private practice. That’s just the reality of public service. But they’re here because they get to argue before the Supreme Court on behalf of Idaho. They get to protect kids from online predators. They get to stand up to federal overreach and defend Idaho’s sovereignty. They get to fight for Idaho families every single day. That matters more to them than a bigger paycheck and I am grateful for that heart for serving the people of our great state.
We wrapped up the meeting with a continuing legal education session on artificial intelligence and legal ethics. Technology keeps evolving, and we need to stay ahead of it while upholding our obligations to the people we serve.
As we head into the final stretch of 2025, the fights continue.. For now, I wanted to take a moment to recognize the people who make it all possible.
Thank you to everyone who serves in this office. And thank you to the people of Idaho for your continued support.
Best,
