Tennessee Solicitor General Matt Rice to Join Kirkland & Ellis After Distinguished State Service

Tennessee Solicitor General Matt Rice to Join Kirkland & Ellis After Distinguished State Service

Today, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti announced Solicitor General Matt Rice will conclude his exceptional tenure with the Office of the Attorney General this summer to join Kirkland & Ellis as a partner. Rice's time as Solicitor General has been marked by an unmatched work ethic and commitment to excellence, resulting in major legal victories for the State of Tennessee at the United States Supreme Court and in courts across the nation.

An East Tennessee native, Rice joined the Office in 2022 and was appointed as Tennessee's top appellate lawyer in 2024, bringing his hallmark combination of competitiveness and precision to the job from day one. He has led teams of attorneys in Tennessee and in national coalitions to victory in some of the State's highest profile litigation. Rice argued a landmark case at the United States Supreme Court, securing a major win for Tennessee kids, and has argued and won at the Tennessee Supreme Court numerous times since becoming Solicitor General. He has been a trusted advisor to Attorney General Skrmetti, providing outstanding counsel across a broad range of complex legal matters.

Attorney General Skrmetti reflected on Rice's tenure:

"Our State has been incredibly blessed to have Matt as its Solicitor General. His unparalleled work ethic, his tenacity, and his rare combination of brilliance and pragmatism have made him one of the top appellate lawyers in the country. No one can out work him. No one can out write him. And no one is determined to win like Matt Rice. He is a generational legal talent, and he's left a lasting impact on the Office of the Attorney General and his home State of Tennessee.

We are deeply grateful for Matt's service and thrilled for him and his family as he embarks on this new opportunity. Kirkland & Ellis is getting someone truly exceptional, and we couldn't be prouder of everything he gave to this Office and to the people of Tennessee. We look forward to celebrating even more outstanding professional accomplishments from Matt for many years to come."

The Attorney General's Office will announce Rice's successor at a later date.