Cameron Miranda
Keith Ellison, the first African American and Muslim American to be elected to statewide office in Minnesota, has had a long and varied career in law and politics. After graduating with a Juris Doctor from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1990, Ellison worked as a litigator and civil rights lawyer, before entering politics and being elected to the US House of Representatives in 2006. Despite his extensive legal career, Ellison's law license has been the subject of some controversy, with reports emerging during his 2018 campaign for Minnesota Attorney General that he did not have an active attorney's license, making him ineligible to practice law in the state. Ellison's opponents claimed that he had surrendered his license and would be unable to practice law in Minnesota again, however, his campaign stated that the issue was being addressed and that he had completed the necessary steps to reactivate his license.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Law license status | Inactive |
| License reactivation | On track |
| License surrender | Voluntary |
| CLE credits | 45 completed, 45 planned |
| CLE credit deficit | 180 (disputed) |
| Law degree | Yes, from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1990 |
| Years as an attorney | 16 |
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What You'll Learn
Keith Ellison's law license status during his 2018 Minnesota Attorney General campaign
During his 2018 campaign for Minnesota Attorney General, Keith Ellison's law license status was a topic of discussion and scrutiny. Ellison, who had previously practised law as a civil rights and criminal defence attorney, had voluntarily inactivated his Minnesota law license before running for office. This information was brought to light by Laura Loomer of Big League Politics, who reported that Ellison did not have an active attorney's license at the time of his campaign.
In response to these reports, Ellison's campaign stated that the issue was being addressed. Sam Fettig, Ellison's communications coordinator, confirmed that Ellison had completed the required 45 hours of continuing legal education credits (CLEs) needed to get his license reactivated. Additionally, Ellison had filed a plan with the state Board of Continuing Legal Education to complete an additional 45 hours of CLE training. These steps were confirmed by CLE Board Director Emily Eschweiler as being sufficient to put an attorney on track to reactivating their license.
Despite these reassurances, Ellison's opponent, Republican Doug Wardlow, continued to criticise Ellison's license status. Wardlow claimed that Ellison had a deficit of 180 hours in his CLE requirements, which could take "years" to make up. However, this statement was deemed likely incorrect based on information from the CLE Board.
It is important to note that while Minnesota does not require its state Attorney General to have an active law license, it is generally expected that those running for such a position would hold one. Ellison was elected as Minnesota's Attorney General in 2018 and sworn in on January 7, 2019. He has since worked on various initiatives, including consumer protection, lowering pharmaceutical drug prices, and fighting for economic fairness for farmers.
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Ellison's law degree and legal career prior to politics
Keith Ellison is an American politician and lawyer who has served as Minnesota's 30th attorney general since 2019. He was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, to attend law school after graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in economics in 1986. Ellison graduated with a Juris Doctor from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1990. While attending law school, Ellison wrote several columns under the name "Keith E. Hakim" in the student newspaper, the Minnesota Daily, in 1989 and 1990. In these columns, he defended Louis Farrakhan against claims of racism and affirmed that Farrakhan was not an anti-Semite. Ellison also referred to affirmative action as a "sneaky" form of compensation for slavery, suggesting that white Americans should instead pay reparations to blacks.
After graduating from law school, Ellison worked as a litigator at the firm of Lindquist & Vennum for three years, specializing in civil rights, employment, and criminal defense law. He then served as the executive director of the nonprofit Legal Rights Center in Minneapolis, which specializes in defending indigent clients. Following his time at the Legal Rights Center, Ellison entered private practice with the law firm Hassan & Reed Ltd, focusing on trial practice.
Ellison was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2002 and served two terms. In 2006, he announced his candidacy for Congress after longtime U.S. Representative Martin Olav Sabo retired. Ellison won the race and went on to serve as the U.S. representative for Minnesota's 5th congressional district from 2007 to 2019. During his time in Congress, he founded the Congressional Antitrust Caucus and the Congressional Consumer Justice Caucus. Ellison also served as Deputy Chair of the Democratic National Committee from 2017 to 2018. In 2018, he announced that he would not seek reelection to Congress and instead successfully ran for Minnesota Attorney General, becoming the state's first African American and Muslim elected to partisan statewide office.
Although Ellison's law license was voluntarily inactivated at some point, it is not an indication of any disciplinary action. In fact, it is common for attorneys who are not actively practising law, such as those in political office, to voluntarily inactivate their licenses. According to a campaign spokesman, Ellison had completed the required 45 hours of continuing legal education credits to have his license reactivated.
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The requirements to reactivate Ellison's license
Keith Ellison, a graduate of the University of Minnesota Law School, voluntarily inactivated his Minnesota law license. However, he has since completed the 45 hours of continuing legal education credits needed to get it reactivated. Ellison has also filed a plan with the state Board of Continuing Legal Education committing him to an additional 45 hours of CLE training.
To reactivate a voluntarily inactivated law license in Minnesota, an attorney must contact the Lawyer Registration Office and pay the current year's active license fees. They must also bring their CLE requirements up to date by contacting the CLE office. The CLE Board Director, Emily Eschweiler, has confirmed that these two steps would put an attorney on track to reviving a voluntarily inactivated law license.
In the case of a lawyer who has resigned their license, they must petition for reinstatement, and their petition must be approved by the Minnesota Supreme Court. They are also not eligible to obtain a Certificate of Good Standing.
Additionally, it is important to note that both state and federal law require that a license be under the full legal name of the lawyer. Any name changes must be updated with the Board within 30 days.
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Other Minnesota politicians with inactive law licenses
According to sources, Keith Ellison, the DFL attorney general candidate, had an inactive Minnesota law license during his 2018 campaign. However, his campaign claimed that he had completed the necessary steps to reactivate it, including earning the required continuing legal education (CLE) credits.
Amy Klobuchar, a former Hennepin County attorney, served as a senator from Minnesota and ran for the Democratic nomination for president in 2020. She voluntarily inactivated her law license while serving in Congress.
Tom Emmer, a U.S. Representative from Minnesota, was admitted to the bar in 1988 but is no longer authorized to practice law in the state. His status is listed as "resigned," indicating that he may have voluntarily inactivated his license or allowed it to lapse.
It is worth noting that having an inactive law license does not necessarily reflect negatively on these politicians. Inactivating a law license is a common practice for lawyers who leave the state or change career paths, and it allows them to remain in good standing with the legal profession.
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Ellison's political career and roles
Keith Ellison is an American politician and lawyer. He received his law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1990. After graduating, Ellison worked for three years at the firm of Lindquist & Vennum, where he was a litigator specializing in civil rights, employment, and criminal defense law. He then became the executive director of Minneapolis's nonprofit Legal Rights Center, which provides legal defence for indigent clients. Ellison later left the Legal Rights Center and entered private practice with the law firm Hassan & Reed Ltd, specializing in trial practice.
In 2006, Ellison was elected to the United States House of Representatives, becoming the first Muslim elected to the US Congress and the highest-ranking Muslim elected official in the country. He represented Minnesota's 5th Congressional District from 2007 to 2019 and championed consumer, worker, environmental, and civil and human rights protections for Minnesotans. During his time in Congress, Ellison founded the Congressional Antitrust Caucus and the Congressional Consumer Justice Caucus. He also served on the House Financial Services Committee, where he helped oversee the financial services industry, the housing industry, and Wall Street, among other areas.
In 2018, Ellison was elected as Minnesota's 30th Attorney General, becoming the first African American and Muslim American to hold statewide office in the state. As Attorney General, Ellison has worked to protect AmeriCorps funding, secure relief for Minnesota schools from budget cuts, and address the opioid crisis, among other issues. He has also taken a stand on abortion rights, petitioning the FDA to remove restrictions on mifepristone, one of two drugs used in medication abortions.
During his political career, Ellison has faced some controversies, including misconduct allegations during his 2018 campaign and criticism from political opponents regarding the status of his law license. However, he has also received support and endorsement from various groups and individuals.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Keith Ellison does not have an active law license, but he has completed the necessary requirements to get it reactivated.
Keith Ellison voluntarily inactivated his Minnesota law license, but it is not clear why he did so.
This caused some controversy when he was running for Minnesota Attorney General in 2018, as some people argued that he should have an active license if he is to be the leading voice of law within the state. However, Minnesota does not require its state Attorney General to have an active law license.
Yes, Ellison has completed the 45 hours of continuing legal education credits needed to get his license reactivated. He has also filed a plan to complete an additional 45 hours of CLE training.
Ellison received his law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1990. He practiced law as a criminal defense and civil rights attorney for 16 years, including five years as executive director of the Legal Rights Center. He then represented Minnesotans in the US House of Representatives for 12 years before becoming Minnesota Attorney General in 2019.
