Attorney General: George Jepsen Biography page

ATTORNEY GENERAL GEORGE JEPSEN

George Jepsen is the 24th Attorney General to serve Connecticut since the office was established in 1897. He took office on Jan. 5, 2011. The Attorney General is a constitutional officer, the state’s chief legal officer and serves as legal counsel to all state agencies. Under state statutes and the Connecticut Constitution, the Attorney General has authority over all civil matters and is responsible for representing the people of Connecticut and the broader public interest.

With a legal staff of more than 200 attorneys, the Attorney General works to represent and vigorously advocate for the interests of the state and its citizens, to ensure that state government acts within the letter and spirit of the law, to protect public resources for present and future generations, to preserve and enhance the quality of life of all our citizens, and to ensure that the rights of the most vulnerable citizens are safeguarded. The Office generated $477 million for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2011.

Attorney General Jepsen is a member of the National Association of Attorneys General, where he serves as co-chairman of the Antitrust Committee. He was also a member of the executive committee and negotiating team that resulted in a $25 billion settlement with the nation’s five largest banks over mortgage foreclosure abuses. It was the largest joint federal-state settlement in history. As Attorney General, Jepsen created a data privacy task force to focus on data breach and privacy concerns. He has also focused on utility issues.

Before taking office, Jepsen was a practicing lawyer for more than 26 years, most recently at the Hartford law firm of Cowdery, Ecker and Murphy, LCC, in the areas of corporate transactions and civil and appellate litigation. Jepsen began his legal career as general counsel to Carpenters Local 210 in Norwalk.

Jepsen was born in Hattiesburg, Miss., on Nov. 23, 1954, the second of Chuck and Rita Jepsen’s three children. In 1955, the family moved to Greenwich, where Jepsen attended public schools. He graduated summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa in 1976 from Dartmouth College with a B.A. degree in Government with high distinction. In 1982, Jepsen earned his J.D. degree, cum laude, from Harvard Law School and simultaneously earned a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government, where he was a teaching fellow for Richard Neustadt and for former Watergate prosecutor Archibald Cox.

In 1987, Jepsen was elected to represent Stamford’s 148th State House District. From his election in 1990 through 2003, Jepsen represented the 27th State Senatorial District, serving Stamford and Darien. As a state senator, Jepsen was chairman of the Judiciary Committee (1993-1995) and ranking member of the Finance Committee (1995-1997). He served as Senate Majority Leader from 1997-2003. In 2002, Jepsen was the Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor. He served as Democratic State Party chairman from 2003-2005.

Jepsen, a resident of West Hartford, is married to Diana Sousa. They have two sons, Christian, and William.