Patel moved to the Marianas in 2012.
By The American Bazaar Staff
NEW YORK: Indian American lawyer Reena Patel, who has been working as an Assistant Attorney General since 2012 in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), one of the five inhabited US island territories, has been promoted to head the civil division in the Attorney General’s office.
CNMI consists of 15 islands in the western Pacific Ocean, between Hawaii and the Philippines.
Patel’s appointment was announced by the territory’s Acting Attorney General Gilbert Birnbrich, who said in a statement: “It is evident through her hard work that Ms. Patel will continue to succeed in our office, and most importantly, in her new role as chief. I can attest to her capabilities and her commitment to serve the people of the CNMI.”
Patel, who took over on August 13th, takes over the position from Birnbrich.
She said in a statement on her promotion: “I am honored to be offered the position of chief of the civil division. I look forward to continue serving the people of the commonwealth in my new role.”
As chief, Patel’s duties and responsibilities will be that of administering the day to day operations of the department.
Patel, a native of New York City, received her undergraduate degree from New York University in 2000, a law degree from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law in 2008, and an L.L.M in international trade in 2009.
After law school, Patel entered private practice in San Diego until she moved to the CNMI in March 2012 to serve as an assistant attorney general.
While working at the Office of the Attorney General, Patel has served as legal counsel to numerous government agencies including Commerce, Labor, and Consumer Counsel.
Patel has also served as the lead attorney for the CNMI government in the Retirement Fund case along with several other cases.
A past report in the Saipan Tribune said Patel was sworn in as Assistant Attorney General in May of 2012, after a month of moving to Saipan with her fiancé, assistant attorney general James McCallister, who was sworn in earlier that year and was then working at the Criminal Division of the Attorney General’s Office.