Jonathan Skrmetti

Jonathan Skrmetti
Jonathan Skrmetti
Born	4 1, 1977
Birthplace	New London, Connecticut, U.S.
Occupation	Attorney, public official
Education	George Washington University (BA) Hertford College, Oxford (BA) Harvard University (JD)
Children	4

Jonathan Thomas Skrmetti (born January 4, 1977) is an American attorney and public official serving as the 28th Attorney General of Tennessee since September 1, 2022. A native of Connecticut who built his legal career in Memphis, Tennessee, Skrmetti has combined experience in private practice, federal prosecution, and senior state government roles. Before his appointment as attorney general by the Tennessee Supreme Court, he served as chief deputy attorney general and as chief counsel to Governor Bill Lee. Since taking office, Skrmetti has pursued an active litigation agenda that includes defending Tennessee statutes on social and cultural issues, challenging federal regulatory actions, filing consumer protection lawsuits against technology companies, and advocating for children's online safety. His tenure has drawn national attention for cases involving transgender rights legislation, drag show restrictions, and technology platform accountability.

Early Life

Jonathan Thomas Skrmetti was born on January 4, 1977, in New London, Connecticut. He was raised in Connecticut before eventually relocating to Tennessee, where he established his legal career. Details regarding his family background and upbringing in New London remain largely outside the public record. He would later settle in Memphis, Tennessee, where he practiced law and began his career in public service.

Education

Skrmetti pursued an extensive academic path across three institutions. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. He subsequently studied at Hertford College at the University of Oxford, where he earned a second Bachelor of Arts degree. He completed his legal education at Harvard Law School, where he obtained his Juris Doctor degree. This combination of undergraduate, graduate, and legal training at prominent American and British universities provided a broad academic foundation for his subsequent career in law and government.

Career

Private Practice and Federal Prosecution

After completing his legal education, Skrmetti established himself as a lawyer in Memphis, Tennessee. He worked in private practice in the city and also served as a federal prosecutor in the office of the United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee. His experience as a federal prosecutor gave him courtroom litigation experience in criminal law, while his private practice work broadened his expertise in civil and corporate matters. These dual tracks of legal experience would later inform his approach to the attorney general's office.

Service Under Governor Bill Lee

Skrmetti transitioned into state government service, taking on senior advisory and legal roles under Governor Bill Lee. He served as Tennessee's chief deputy attorney general under Attorney General Herbert Slatery, gaining direct experience with the operations and legal responsibilities of the attorney general's office. He subsequently became chief counsel to Governor Lee, serving as the governor's principal legal advisor. In this capacity, Skrmetti provided legal guidance on executive actions, legislation, and policy matters for the Lee administration.

Appointment as Attorney General

In Tennessee, the attorney general is not elected by popular vote but is instead appointed by the Tennessee Supreme Court to an eight-year term, a feature that distinguishes Tennessee from most other U.S. states. On August 10, 2022, the Tennessee Supreme Court selected Skrmetti to succeed Herbert Slatery as the 28th Attorney General of Tennessee. He officially assumed office on September 1, 2022. His appointment was seen as a continuation of the close relationship between the attorney general's office and the Lee administration, given Skrmetti's prior service as the governor's chief counsel.

Restructuring and Expansion of the Office

Upon taking office, Skrmetti moved to restructure and expand the attorney general's office. In 2023, reporting by the Tennessee Lookout detailed his efforts to increase the office's capacity to engage in litigation against federal agencies and local governments. This expansion reflected a broader trend among Republican state attorneys general to use their offices as instruments for challenging federal policies and asserting state authority. The restructuring was designed to allow the office to take on a larger and more assertive caseload in areas including federalism disputes, cultural policy litigation, and consumer protection.

Transgender Rights and Gender Identity Litigation

One of the most prominent areas of Skrmetti's tenure has been the defense of Tennessee legislation restricting transgender rights. In early 2023, Skrmetti's office took the position of opposing the inclusion of gender identity protections in Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, in response to proposed federal regulatory changes under the Biden administration. The attorney general's office filed legal briefs arguing against the expansion of Title IX to cover gender identity, contending that such changes exceeded the original scope of the statute.

Skrmetti's office also defended Tennessee's law restricting transgender athletes' participation in school sports and use of facilities consistent with their gender identity. The attorney general's office argued in favor of maintaining an injunction to halt transgender sports competition in accordance with the state statute.

Drag Show Legislation

In 2023, Tennessee enacted legislation that imposed restrictions on drag performances, particularly those accessible to minors. The law, which categorized certain drag performances as "adult cabaret entertainment," became one of the first of its kind in the United States and drew immediate legal challenges.

A nonprofit theater company, Friends of George's, Inc., filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee challenging the constitutionality of the law. In June 2023, a Trump-appointed federal judge ruled that Tennessee's drag show restrictions were unconstitutional, finding that the law violated the First Amendment.

Skrmetti's office subsequently appealed the federal judge's decision. The case drew national attention and became emblematic of a broader national debate over drag performance regulations, free expression, and LGBTQ rights. Legal scholars and commentators analyzed the litigation as a test case for the constitutionality of such restrictions across other states that had enacted or were considering similar legislation.

Birthright Citizenship Challenge

In October 2025, Skrmetti led a multistate effort challenging aspects of birthright citizenship in the United States Supreme Court. He was joined by the attorney general of Iowa and attorneys general from 23 additional states in filing an amicus curiae brief in a case before the Supreme Court. The brief argued for a more restrictive interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment's citizenship clause. The case represented one of the most significant constitutional questions addressed during Skrmetti's tenure and placed Tennessee at the forefront of a politically charged national legal debate.

Child Safety and Technology Litigation

A significant and growing area of Skrmetti's work as attorney general has been the pursuit of child safety in the digital environment. In December 2025, his office filed a lawsuit against Roblox, the online gaming platform, alleging that the company made misrepresentations regarding child safety. The lawsuit accused Roblox of luring children into unsafe environments on its platform.

In February 2026, Skrmetti joined a bipartisan coalition of 40 attorneys general in urging the United States Congress to pass the Kids Online Safety Act, federal legislation aimed at strengthening protections for children on internet platforms. This bipartisan effort was notable for bringing together attorneys general from across the political spectrum on a shared concern about the impact of digital platforms on minors. Skrmetti's role in the coalition reflected the growing centrality of technology regulation in the work of state attorneys general.

Consumer Protection and Law Enforcement

Skrmetti's office has also pursued consumer protection and law enforcement actions in other areas. In December 2025, the office announced a crackdown on illegal online sweepstake casinos, successfully halting the operation of multiple illegal online gambling platforms operating within Tennessee.

In February 2026, Skrmetti issued a joint statement with Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance Commissioner Carter Lawrence regarding winter storm insurance claims, advising Tennessee residents on their rights and protections in the aftermath of severe weather events.

Legislative and Legal Controversies

Skrmetti's tenure has not been without controversy. In October 2025, a Tennessee state senator accused the attorney general of omitting and altering a legal opinion regarding the use of the Tennessee National Guard. The lawmaker alleged that Skrmetti's office had revised an opinion on the deployment of the National Guard in a manner that violated established norms and expectations for the attorney general's advisory role.

In late October 2025, Skrmetti issued a statement welcoming a federal district court's decision to dismiss all claims in a lawsuit brought by Blount Pride, in a case that had involved challenges to state actions affecting LGBTQ organizations.

In early 2026, Tennessee state Republicans introduced legislation that could expand the attorney general's right to appeal certain legal challenges, a measure that could further enhance the power of the office under Skrmetti's leadership.

Personal Life

Skrmetti resides in Tennessee with his family. He has four children. Beyond these publicly documented facts, Skrmetti has maintained a relatively private personal life. He relocated from his native Connecticut to Memphis, Tennessee, earlier in his career and has remained in the state throughout his career in public service.

Recognition

Since taking office, Skrmetti has gained a national profile among state attorneys general, particularly through his participation in multistate coalitions on issues including children's online safety, immigration policy, and challenges to federal regulatory authority. His leadership of the bipartisan coalition of 40 attorneys general advocating for the Kids Online Safety Act in 2026 was one of the most prominent bipartisan efforts of his tenure. The Roblox lawsuit filed by his office in December 2025 also attracted significant media attention as part of a growing wave of state-level legal actions against major technology companies over child safety concerns.

His office's defense of Tennessee's drag show restrictions and transgender rights legislation generated extensive national media coverage, legal commentary, and academic analysis, placing Skrmetti at the center of some of the most prominent cultural and constitutional debates in the United States during the 2020s.