Attorney General Neronha names new Chief of Policy
The Office will soon launch a search for Chief of the Civil & Community Rights Unit
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced today he will appoint Keith D. Hoffmann to be the next Chief of Policy to Attorney General Neronha. Mr. Hoffmann, who currently serves as Chief of the Civil Division’s Civil and Community Rights Unit, will succeed Kate Sabatini who Attorney General Neronha recently announced as the new Civil Division Chief. Mr. Hoffmann will assume his new role on April 1, 2024.
“Keith is a natural fit for this position because he isn’t afraid to challenge the status quo in the name of doing what is right for Rhode Islanders,” said Attorney General Neronha. “Keith has helped pass immensely impactful public health legislation, delivered robust hate crime resources and training, and built the Civil & Community Rights Unit into what it is today, among many other achievements. Keith has the knowledge, the experience, and the good instincts to be an excellent Chief of Policy and I know he will continue to deliver strong results for Rhode Island.”
Most recently, Mr. Hoffmann has served as the Chief of the Civil and Community Rights Unit, which he helped to establish, leading a dedicated team of attorneys and staff. Since joining the Office, he has spearheaded groundbreaking civil rights initiatives including bringing dozens of enforcement actions to protect lead poisoned children, and a significant statewide hate crime enforcement program in partnership with community organizations and law enforcement.
Mr. Hoffmann has also represented the State in complex civil and criminal cases, including constitutional defense, civil enforcement, and criminal prosecutions. Additionally, he helped pass groundbreaking legislation, including laws seeking to end childhood lead poisoning in Rhode Island. Keith also serves as Commissioner of the Rhode Island Housing Resources Commission and the Rhode Island Commission on Prejudice and Bias.
Before coming home to Rhode Island, Mr. Hoffmann led a team of civil legal aid attorneys at the New York Legal Assistance Group; a career public interest attorney, his first legal job was as an Equal Justice Works Fellow, sponsored by the law firm Latham & Watkins, establishing medical-legal partnerships to help veterans with their legal issues.
Mr. Hoffmann is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Fordham Law School.
The Office will be posting the position of Chief of the Civil and Community Rights Unit in the coming days.
