Attorney General Talauega Eleasalo Va’alele Ale announced today the following appointments:
Chief Assistant Attorney General Lornalei Meredith Fanene is appointed Deputy Attorney General.
A graduate of BYU Law School and BYU College, Lornalei is licensed to practice law in Utah and American Samoa.
She has worked in the Attorney General’s Office for 4 years and was appointed Chief AAG last year.
Lornalei is the daughter of Mataia Daniel and Gwendolyn Ho Ching Meredith of Nu’uuli, Nua & Se’etaga, and Faleapuna, Samoa.
She is married to Malaeimi Siufaga Fanene of Nu’uuli.
Lornalei replaces former Deputy Attorney General Mitzie Jessop Ta’ase who has joined the legal staff of the Fono.
Civil Division Assistant Attorney General Aitofele Sunia is appointed Chief of the Civil Division, taking over the role previously held by DAG Meredith.
Sunia graduated from the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaii, and received his BA in English also from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
Before joining the AG’s Office, he clerked for the Honorable Fa’au’uga To’oto’o, Circuit Judge – First Circuit State of Hawaii.
He started his career at the AG’s Office in October 2014 as a criminal prosecutor then moved on to the Civil Division on July 2015, where he has represented ASG in several high profile cases including the LVPA case pending in federal court in Hawaii.
Sunia is the son of Faoa A. Sunia and Elisapeta Iuli Nikolao of Ofu, Leone, Fagatogo and Utulei.
