Attorney General

Solicitor General

Statewide Outcome(s):

Solicitor General supports the following statewide outcome(s).

A thriving economy that encourages business growth and employment opportunities.

Minnesotans are healthy.

Strong and stable families and communities.

People in Minnesota are safe.

A clean, healthy environment with sustainable uses of natural resources.

Efficient and accountable government services.

Context:

The Solicitor General activity:

·         Defends the constitutionality of laws passed by the Minnesota legislature.

·         Protects and saves taxpayer dollars by defending claims for monetary judgments against state agencies and employees, including tort, employment, and other high-dollar civil legal claims.

·         Provides a wide range of high-quality and efficient legal representation to state agencies, boards, and officials.

Primary customers are the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of state government and the citizens of Minnesota. The program is funded primarily through general fund appropriations.

Strategies:

·         Provide expert legal representation in civil lawsuits against the state and its agencies, officials, and employees.

·         Defend state agencies from high-dollar claims for monetary judgments.

·         Represent state agencies and boards in various monetary recovery proceedings.

·         Provide effective and proactive legal advice to state agencies to avoid lawsuits.

Key partners are the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of state government, the risk managers for the state agencies, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, and Minnesota citizens.

Results:

·         Defend the constitutionality of state laws to help give effect to the policy determinations of the Minnesota legislature.

·         Protect taxpayer dollars by defending against legal claims for money judgments made against the state and by recovering funds for the state.

·         Ensure that claims against people and entities who owe the state money are pursued.

·         High quality, efficient legal representation is delivered to state agencies, boards, and officials.

Performance Measures Notes:

The Office of the Attorney General did not provide performance data for this measure.