WASHINGTON, D.C. – Attorney General Karl A. Racine announced the appointment of several individuals to leadership positions within the Office of the Attorney General (OAG). The senior leadership positions announced today are: Deputy Attorney General for the Civil Litigation Division, Deputy Attorney General for the Public Advocacy Division, and Chiefs for the Civil Rights Section and Elder Justice Section. These appointments will support OAG’s work to defend the District and taxpayers, enhance the office’s policy and law enforcement work, and promote and defend the rights of the District’s residents.

“The District benefits greatly when the Office of the Attorney General is able to recruit and retain some of the country’s top legal talent,” said AG Racine. “Each of these experienced, passionate, and highly-skilled leaders will enhance our ability to protect and improve the lives of District residents. The investments in our newly launched Civil Rights and Elder Justice teams will also amplify our work to protect our most vulnerable communities.”

The following hires to OAG’s leadership team were announced today:

Chad Copeland will serve as Deputy Attorney General in charge of OAG’s Civil Litigation Division. In his previous roles at OAG, Mr. Copeland served as Assistant Deputy Attorney General in the Public Interest Division and as a Section Chief in the Division he now heads. Prior to joining OAG, Mr. Copeland’s career included stints as an attorney in private practice and as an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Dallas, Texas.  He holds a bachelor’s degree from Louisiana State University and a law degree from Southern Methodist University.

Kathleen Konopka will serve as Deputy Attorney General in charge of OAG’s Public Advocacy Division. In her most recent role, Ms. Konopka served as Counsel for Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein, LLP. Prior to that, Ms. Konopka’s career included roles as Senior Enforcement Counsel in the Office of the Attorney General for New York State; Assistant United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia; and Senior Litigator in the U.S. Department of Justice. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Vassar College and a law degree from Northeastern University.

OAG has also made investments to stand up for the District’s most vulnerable residents, establishing two new Sections to fight discrimination and civil rights violations and to protect District elders and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.

Civil Rights Section
OAG established a Civil Rights Section in 2019 in response to the federal government’s failures to enforce civil rights protections and a spike in hate crimes in the District that have targeted the LGBTQ community, immigrants, and other vulnerable populations. The civil rights team enforces the District’s civil rights protections and fights large-scale discriminatory practices that stand in the way of opportunities for District residents. This section has already brought lawsuits combating housing discrimination and location-based discrimination.

Michelle D. Thomas will serve as Chief of the Civil Rights Section. Prior to joining OAG, Ms. Thomas’s career included roles at the District’s Office of Human Rights, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and MDT Consulting, counseling clients on discrimination, sexual harassment, and other violations of workplace policies. Ms. Thomas holds a bachelor’s degree from California State University, a master's degree in business from U.C. Berkeley, and a law degree from Howard University.

Elder Justice Section
OAG established an Elder Justice Section in 2019 to better protect the District’s elders and vulnerable adults from financial exploitation. This new team can obtain civil fines and temporary or permanent injunctions against bad actors through civil enforcement of the Criminal Abuse, Neglect and Financial Exploitation of Vulnerable Adults and the Elderly Act. The Elder Justice Section also develops informational resources and educates the community on elder justice issues.

Amy Mix will serve as Chief of the Elder Justice Section. Prior to joining OAG, Ms. Mix served in several leadership positions at Legal Counsel for the Elderly, protecting seniors from consumer fraud and financial abuse. Ms. Mix holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin and a law degree from The University of Houston.