Raph Graybill

Raphael "Raph" Jeffrey Carlisle Graybill (born February 20, 1989)[1] is an American attorney who has served as chief legal counsel to Steve Bullock, the Governor of Montana, since 2017.[2][3] Graybill was a candidate for Attorney General of Montana in the 2020 general election.[4]

Raph Graybill
Personal details
Born
Raphael Jeffrey Carlisle Graybill

(1989-02-20) February 20, 1989
Great Falls, Montana, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)
Marisa Franklin
​
(m. 2018)​
EducationColumbia University (BA)
Magdalen College, Oxford (MPhil)
Yale University (JD)

Early life and education

Graybill is a fifth-generation native of Montana.[5][6] He was born and raised in Great Falls and graduated from Great Falls High School.[7][1] In 2010, Graybill earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Columbia University.[8][1] He then studied as a Rhodes Scholar at Magdalen College, Oxford, where he earned a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) degree in political theory in 2012.[9][10] Graybill received a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 2015.[11][12]

Graybill served as an Auxiliary Police Officer with the New York City Police Department for four years while studying at Columbia University.[9]

Career

In 2008, Graybill was elected as a Democratic National Committee delegate and had the distinction of being the youngest DNC delegate elected to the Montana Delegation.[13][14]

After graduating from Yale Law School in 2015, Graybill served as the law clerk to Chief Judge Sidney R. Thomas of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in Billings, Montana.[15] He then worked in private practice for the firm Susman Godfrey LLP, representing small businesses harmed by unfair business practices.[16][5]

In 2017, Montana Governor Steve Bullock appointed Graybill as Chief Legal Counsel.[3] As the lead attorney in the Montana Executive Branch, he represented the legal interests of the administration and its constituents. In this role, Graybill has represented cases in the Supreme Court of Montana and United States Supreme Court[17] and set precedents in easements and public land access, veto powers, and election laws including mail in ballots and dark money disclosure requirements.[18]

Notable cases:

  • Lamm v. Bullock (U.S. Supreme Court / U.S. District Court)[19][20][21]
  • Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue (U.S. Supreme Court)[22][23]
  • Janus v. AFSCME (U.S. Supreme Court)[24]
  • Bullock v. Internal Revenue Service (U.S. District Court)[25][18]
  • Bullock v. Fox (Montana Supreme Court)[26][27][28][29][30][31][32]
  • Montana Smoke Free Association v. Bullock (Montana District Court)[33]
  • Bullock v. Stapleton (Montana District Court)[34][35]

COVID-19 response

As Chief Legal Counsel, Graybill helped design Montana’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Montana. Graybill participated in drafting the Governor’s Executive Orders, including No. 2-2020, that shaped new rules in the state designed to limit the spread of the virus. He also coordinated investigations and enforcement through the Montana Department of Health and Human Services.[36]

Graybill was also charged with defending Montana's mail-in ballots for the November 3, 2020 election as part of the state's COVID-19 measures to protect voter and election worker safety during the pandemic. President Donald Trump's campaign brought a lawsuit against Montana Governor Bullock's mail-in ballot directive. Governor Bullock's directive allowed Montana counties to conduct elections using mail-in ballots if counties determined that in-person polling stations posed a significant public health risk.[37][38] Graybill won the case for Montana in the U.S. District Court, and, when the Trump Campaign attempted to contest the decision in a petition to the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Supreme court sided with Graybill and the State of Montana, which allowed counties to proceed with their plans to send out mail-in ballots.[20]

2020 Montana Attorney General campaign

On May 8, 2019, Graybill announced his candidacy for Montana Attorney General.[39] Graybill won the June 2, 2020 Democratic primary, defeating Kimberly Dudik.[40] On November 3, 2020, Graybill lost the general election to Republican Austin Knudsen.[41]

Personal life

In December 2017, Graybill married Marisa Meredith Franklin, the Mathematics Instructional Coordinator at the Montana Office of Public Instruction.[42] They have one daughter, Genevieve.[5]

References
  1. "American Rhodes Scholars-Elect for 2010: Raphael Jeffrey Carlisle Graybill, District XIV, Montana" (PDF).
  2. Smith, Griffen. "Attorney General candidates tout different priorities". Great Falls Tribune. Retrieved 2020-10-17.
  3. "Montana Governors Office".
  4. "Graybill brings right approach to Attorney General's Office". missoulian.com. Retrieved 2020-10-17.
  5. "Meet Raph". Raph Graybill. Retrieved 2020-10-17.
  6. GRAYBILL, RAPH. "Montana needs an independent watchdog who will defend our public lands". Helena Independent Record. Retrieved 2020-10-17.
  7. Cates-Carney, Corin. "2020 Candidate Interview: Raph Graybill For Attorney General". www.mtpr.org. Retrieved 2020-10-17.
  8. [email protected], Eric K. Gill. "AG candidate Raph Graybill courts Sidney". Sidney Herald. Retrieved 2020-10-17.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  9. "Raphael Graybill '10CC (Political Science)". Columbia College. Retrieved 2020-10-17.
  10. "Graybill Awarded Rhodes Scholarship".
  11. board, Chronicle editorial. "In state down-ballot races, Democrats deserve vote". Bozeman Daily Chronicle. Retrieved 2020-10-17.
  12. News, MTPR. "Raph Graybill 2020 Election Questionnaire". www.mtpr.org. Retrieved 2020-10-17.
  13. "Montana's youngest delegate has politics flowing in his blood". The Billings Gazette. Associated Press. Retrieved 2020-10-18.
  14. "Raphael Graybill '10 Awarded Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships".
  15. Puckett, Karl. "Great Falls native Graybill announces run for attorney general". Great Falls Tribune. Retrieved 2020-10-17.
  16. "Practice Background: Attorney-Advocate Raph Graybill" (PDF).
  17. Cates-Carney, Corin. "2020 Candidate Interview: Raph Graybill For Attorney General". www.mtpr.org. Retrieved 2020-10-17.
  18. Kosted, Nathan (2019-08-01). "Governor Bullock and Raph Graybill Beat Trump on Dark Money in Win for Montana". The Montana Post. Retrieved 2020-10-18.
  19. "U.S. Supreme Court won't stop Montana mail ballots". KTVH. 2020-10-09. Retrieved 2020-10-18.
  20. "US Supreme Court denies Republican attempt to block Montana mail-in ballots". Missoula Current. 2020-10-08. Retrieved 2020-10-18.
  21. "Search - Supreme Court of the United States". www.supremecourt.gov. Retrieved 2020-10-18.
  22. Liptak, Adam (2020-06-30). "Montana Battle Over Aid for Religious Schools Reaches Supreme Court". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-10-18.
  23. Bolton, Aaron. "Supreme Court Hears Montana Case On School Choice And Religious Schools". www.mtpr.org. Retrieved 2020-10-18.
  24. "BRIEF OF STEVE BULLOCK, GOVERNOR OF MONTANA, AS AMICUS CURIAE IN SUPPORT OF RESPONDENTS" (PDF).
  25. "Docket for Bullock v. Internal Revenue Service, 4:18-cv-00103 - CourtListener.com". CourtListener. Retrieved 2020-10-18.
  26. "Here's how debate over a conservation easement ended up before the Montana Supreme Court". Helena Independent Record. Retrieved 2020-10-18.
  27. "MT Supreme Court hears arguments in Bullock and Fox battle over conservation easements". KXLH. 2018-12-06. Retrieved 2020-10-18.
  28. "Bullock v. Fox". Justia Law. Retrieved 2020-10-18.
  29. "Montana governor sues attorney general over land authority". AP NEWS. 2018-10-22. Retrieved 2020-10-18.
  30. "Montana Court Overrules Attorney General On Easements". www.mtpr.org. Associated Press. Retrieved 2020-10-18.
  31. "Bullock vs. Fox: State Supreme Court hears arguments in conservation easement case". Missoula Current. 2018-12-05. Retrieved 2020-10-18.
  32. [email protected], TOM KUGLIN. "Montana Supreme Court hears arguments on who gets final say on conservation easements". Helena Independent Record. Retrieved 2020-10-18.
  33. "MONTANA TWENTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT RAVALLI COUNTY" (PDF).
  34. "Bullock vs. Stapleton: Is 'wild bison' bill vetoed or Montana law?". Missoula Current. 2019-05-30. Retrieved 2020-10-18.
  35. MTPR News. "Judge Sides With Bullock In Veto Dispute". Retrieved 2020-10-18.
  36. Georgiou, Maritsa (2020-10-26). "State seeks temporary restraining order on 5th Flathead business". KECI. Retrieved 2020-10-28.
  37. "Judge will rule soon on GOP attempt to block mail ballots". AP NEWS. 2020-09-23. Retrieved 2020-10-28.
  38. Ragar, Shaylee. "Republicans Sue To Stop All-Mail Voting In Montana". www.mtpr.org. Retrieved 2020-10-28.
  39. "Great Falls native kicks off campaign for Montana Attorney General". KXLH. 2019-05-08. Retrieved 2020-10-17.
  40. Drake, Phil. "Graybill, Knudsen win attorney general primaries". Great Falls Tribune. Retrieved 2020-10-17.
  41. "Graybill concedes Montana Attorney General race to Knudsen". KTVQ. 2020-11-04. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
  42. "Marisa Franklin, Raphael Graybill (Published 2017)". The New York Times. 2017-12-31. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-10-18.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.