Matt Rice named Tennessee solicitor general, state's chief appellate attorney

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has selected Matt Rice to be the state's next solicitor general.

The solicitor general is the state's chief appellate attorney. Rice will manage all litigation in state and federal appeals courts and oversee all published opinions by the attorney general.

Rice joined the office of the solicitor general in June 2022, most recently working as special assistant to the solicitor general.

“Solicitor General Matt Rice is a brilliant attorney and exceptional writer with a renowned work ethic and a remarkable record of success. Matt learned from some of the top legal minds in the country and has been a consistently excellent contributor since he joined the office,” Skrmetti said in a news release.

Rice is replacing Andree Blumstein, who is returning to private practice after 10 years as solicitor general, according to the news release. Blumstein was the state's first female solicitor general. Skrmetti recognized Blumstein for successfully defending the state's Education Savings Account program. The program provides taxpayer-funded vouchers to offset private schooling costs for students zoned for Metro Nashville Public Schools, Memphis-Shelby County Schools, Hamilton County Schools and the state's Achievement School district.

"[Blumstein's] commitment to quality has consistently elevated the Office’s legal practice and improved the work product of each and every one of our attorneys. She is the consummate professional and the State of Tennessee has benefited greatly from her service," part of Skrmetti's statement reads.

Rice is a graduate of Western Kentucky University and the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. His legal experience includes a clerkship for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and as associate attorney at Washington litigation firm Williams & Connolly.

Evan Mealins is the justice reporter for The Tennessean. Contact him at emealins@gannett.com or follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @EvanMealins.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee attorney general names Matt Rice next solicitor general