Wed. Nov 13th, 2024

Attorney General Anthony Brown at a press conference behind a podium in front of the U.S. flag and the Maryland flag.

Attorney General Anthony Brown (D), shown at a July news conference, recently announced the creation of the position of solicitor general to handle all appellate cases in his office. Photo by Elijah Pittman.

Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown (D) has created an Office of the Solicitor General within the attorney general’s office — describing it as a division dedicated to overseeing the state’s appellate litigation in both state and federal courts.

Brown announced last week that he is appointing Julia Doyle, a seasoned appellate litigator and current chief of the Office of Attorney General’s Civil Division, as the new solicitor general, effective Jan. 8.

Creation of the solicitor general’s office aligns Maryland with more than 40 states and territories that have appointed a solicitor general to coordinate and promote consistency in appellate work across all divisions of the attorney general’s office. The new office, which will not require extra money to establish, will manage both civil and criminal appeals in all state and federal courts.

“The new Office of the Solicitor General will enhance the Office of the Attorney General’s long tradition of excellence in appellate advocacy at the highest levels of our judicial system,” Brown said in a statement. “I am confident that Maryland’s interests will be well-represented in the courts, and that we will continue to protect and defend the laws and values of our state.”

Doyle is an appellate attorney who has argued more than 135 cases before the Supreme Court of Maryland and has extensive experience in federal courts as well, including in the U.S. Supreme Court. She is currently serving as chief of litigation in the Civil Division at the attorney general’s office, where she oversaw hundreds of appellate briefs and provided strategic guidance on some of Maryland’s most significant legal matters.

“I am honored to take on this new role as solicitor general,” Doyle said in a statement. “The creation of the Office of the Solicitor General marks a new chapter for the Office of the Attorney General, one that will allow us to better serve the people of Maryland through a more focused and strategic approach to appellate advocacy.”

As the lobbying world turns

Jennifer Bevan-Dangel, a seasoned State House lobbyist, is leaving her job as Maryland director of the Humane Society of the United States and is joining the white hat Annapolis lobbying firm Gally Public Affairs for the 2025 General Assembly session.

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“Jennifer and I have worked together for a long time. I value her knowledge and work ethic,” said Eric Gally, president of Gally Public Affairs. “She’s been a colleague and partner for years and I know she will be a great addition to the firm.”

Bevan-Dangel has over two decades of experience as a lobbyist in Annapolis working for nonprofit causes and organizations, working on issues ranging from environment to good government. She is a former state director for Common Cause Maryland, the political reform organization.

For the 2025 session, Bevan-Dangel joins Gally and Dru Schmidt-Perkins, another former head of a statewide organization and a contract lobbyist at the firm for the past few sessions.

Bevan-Dangel is transitioning into an independent consulting role, working not just for Gally Public Affairs but also for Economic Action Maryland, a nonprofit formerly known as the Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition that advocates for economic rights, equity and housing justice for all Marylanders.

Bevan-Dangel’s last day at the Humane Society is Friday. The organization is looking for a new state director, and Gally Public Affairs will be supporting the organization’s legislative work during the 2025 session to ensure a smooth transition.

A new leader in the fight for ranked choice voting

The organization Ranked Choice Voting Maryland, which is dedicated to promoting and implementing the ranked-choice voting election process in Maryland, announced this week that Michelle C. Whittaker, a veteran activist, organizer and campaign strategist, will be its new executive director.

Whittaker spent the past two years as chief of staff to Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando (D). She is also a member of the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee.

“I am honored to lead Ranked Choice Voting Maryland and to work alongside our dedicated volunteers across the state to ensure Marylanders have a stronger voice and more choice on the ballot,” Whittaker said. “Every vote counts and how voters express their vote matters too. This is a very exciting time to advance election innovations. Ranked choice voting is gaining momentum across the country and in Maryland.”

The organization Whittaker is taking over has been at the forefront of efforts to build community and legislative support in Maryland for RCV, even though it has faced resistance in the General Assembly. RCV Maryland organizes events across the state and advocates for legislative efforts at the municipal, county and state level.

“Michelle Whittaker is a proven leader with a deep understanding of ranked choice voting and a commitment to making our democracy more fair and representative,” said Ranked Choice Voting Maryland Board Chair Cynthia Richie Terrell. “We are thrilled to have her join our team and lead our efforts to make RCV a reality in Maryland.”

Taking over for Whittaker as Jawando’s chief of staff is Dave Kunes, another seasoned political strategist. Kunes, a former chair of the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee, has been most closely associated with Tom Hucker, the former state lawmaker and Montgomery County Council member, throughout Hucker’s career. After Hucker left the council in 2022, Kunes split his time between Jawando’s office and the office of Del. Emily Shetty (D-Montgomery).

“Will is an inspiring leader whose vision for positive change has transformed our community,” Kunes said in a Facebook post. “I’m truly honored to serve in this position to support his mission to make Montgomery County a place where every person has the opportunity to thrive.”

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