Attorney General's News Release
June 21, 2007
Missouri chief deputy attorney general Karen Mitchell named one of top assistant attorneys general in U.S.
Karen Mitchell
Recipient of NAAG's
Ray Marvin Award
Jefferson City, Mo. — Karen King Mitchell, the chief deputy to Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon, has been honored as one of the top assistant attorneys general in the country. The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) presented Mitchell with one of three Ray Marvin Awards given this year at a ceremony Wednesday (June 20) in Washington, D.C. The award is given annually to individuals who serve on the staffs of state Attorneys General and who have furthered the goals of the association.
Mitchell, a native of Kansas City and a graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, has served as chief deputy of Missouri since 1999 and as a Missouri assistant attorney general since 1987. During that time, she has argued in front of the United States Supreme Court and has spent her entire legal career in public service for the state of Missouri. Mitchell also has been a key player on many NAAG committees and multi-state efforts.
“I can think of no better example of a true public servant than Karen Mitchell,” Nixon said. “Missouri has benefited greatly from having her legal expertise work for us. The people of this state are indeed privileged to have Karen Mitchell serve them in this position of responsibility.”
The award is named for Ray Marvin, who served as NAAG’s first executive director from 1975 to 1986. The award’s description says that “recipients must have demonstrated the ability to build, mobilize and unify people and institutions working through NAAG to achieve an extraordinary result of national impact for the states; enhanced the capacity of other state Attorneys General offices to effectively advance multistate and Association goals; committed an extraordinary amount of time, talent and energy over a sustained period to achieve identifiable results of significant importance to the Association; and forged, as a result of their efforts, closer bonds within the Association which increases the Association’s usefulness to Attorneys General and expands the Association’s capacity to meet new challenges.”
The other two recipients honored this year were Tom Gruber, first assistant attorney general for Oklahoma; and Paula Becket, chief of civil appeals for the Arizona Attorney General’s Office. Mitchell is the second assistant attorney general from Nixon’s office to win the award in the past five years. In 2002, NAAG presented a Marvin Award to Paul C. Wilson, Nixon’s deputy chief of staff for litigation.
Inquiries from consumers should be directed to consumer@ago.mo.gov or 1-800-392-8222 (from within Missouri) or 573-751-3321 (outside Missouri).
All media inquiries should be directed to the Press Secretary.
E-mail Phone: 573-751-8844 Fax: 573-751-5818