Attorney General Ellison appoints Pete Farrell as Solicitor General

Joined Attorney General’s Office in 2019, has served as Deputy Solicitor General since 2024

November 10, 2026 (SAINT PAUL) — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced today that he has appointed Pete Farrell as Minnesota Solicitor General. Mr. Farrell has served as Deputy Solicitor General since 2024 and Acting Solicitor General since the July 2026 departure of former Solicitor General Liz Kramer.

The Minnesota Solicitor General defends the constitutionality of laws passed by the Legislature; represents State agencies, boards, and officials in all appellate activity; trains attorneys across the Office in appellate practice; oversees five separate legal divisions of the Attorney General’s Office; and protects and saves taxpayer dollars by defending the State against claims for monetary judgments.

“Pete’s sharp legal mind, energy, and dedication made removing the ‘Acting’ tag from his title an easy decision. His track record gives me and can give Minnesotans every confidence that our state is in good hands with him in this role,” Attorney General Ellison said. “Pete’s been instrumental in crafting our strategies in some of our most challenging cases and has argued many of them in both state and federal court. His peers have repeatedly recognized his skill and accomplishments, and it’s no wonder why. We’re very fortunate to have Pete’s talent in the Attorney General’s Office and Minnesota is lucky to have him fighting for our state and our people. I’m looking forward to seeing what he’ll accomplish next in this vital role at such an important moment in our history.”

Pete Farrell has served in the Attorney General’s Office since May 2019 beginning as an assistant attorney general in the Environmental and Natural Resources Division before being named Deputy Solicitor General in March 2024. At Attorney General Ellison’s direction, he and former Solicitor General Kramer founded the Rule of Law Division in the Attorney General’s Office in 2025. During his time at the Attorney General’s Office, Mr. Farrell has briefed and argued many high-profile appeals and dispositive motions in state and federal court, and he has helped craft Minnesota’s legal strategy in many of the state’s most challenging cases.

Mr. Farrell has been recognized for his work in appellate and public law. He is a two-time winner of Minnesota Lawyer’s Attorney of the Year Award, and a winner of the Public Civil Attorney Award of Excellence from the Minnesota State Bar Association’s Public Law Section. He is active in the legal community. serving on the governing council of the Minnesota State Bar Association’s Appellate Practice Section, as well as the board of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Chapter of the American Constitution Society. He has also served as an adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota Law School.

Before joining the Attorney General’s Office, Mr. Farrell worked as an attorney in private practice and clerked for the Minnesota Supreme Court. He is a graduate of St. Olaf College and New York University School of Law.