Attorney General Tim Griffin promoted Noah Watson from senior assistant attorney general to deputy attorney general for the Opinions and FOIA Division, Griffin announced Monday.
Watson assumes control of the division following the promotion of Ryan Owsley to chief deputy attorney general after the unexpected passing of Chief Deputy Bob. R. Brooks Jr. in February. Watson previously served as a senior assistant attorney general in the special litigation section of the Civil Litigation Division in the attorney general's office.
"His diligence, professionalism, and intellect have been assets in defending the interests of the State of Arkansas, and he will bring those with him to the leadership of the Opinions and FOIA Division," Griffin said in a news release. "Promoting from within demonstrates the depth of legal talent we have developed at the state's top law firm."
Watson joined the attorney general's office in 2023 as senior assistant attorney general in the special litigation section of the Civil Litigation Division. He previously was an associate attorney at Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC in Little Rock. He served as a law clerk for Chief Judge Lavenski Smith of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Watson graduated from Harding University and the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis.
Watson's salary is now $167,000 a year, said Jeff LeMaster, Griffin's spokesman. His previous salary was $140,592 a year, according to the Arkansas Transparency website.