The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) has honored Attorney General Tim Fox with its most prestigious award, the Kelley-Wyman Award. NAAG gives this honor annually to the attorney general who has made outstanding professional contributions to the office of attorney general and to the role of attorneys general nationwide.

“Attorney General Fox has been a committed mentor and dedicated member of our community. He has served with grace and dignity in his tenure as attorney general and in the different NAAG capacities he’s filled over the years,” said NAAG Executive Director Chris Toth. “Through his Presidential Initiative, General Fox ensured diversity of thought, party, race, and division. He is the embodiment of integrity and service and is most deserving of this prestigious award.”

The award was presented Wednesday to Fox during NAAG’s annual meeting of state and territory attorneys general, held virtually this year due to COVID-19 restrictions. The group recognized Fox’s leadership in combating human trafficking, in seeking justice for sexual assault survivors, and in promoting civil discourse and statesmanship among all attorneys general in the face of a rise in partisanship.

“I am truly humbled to receive this recognition from my colleagues,” Attorney General Tim Fox said. “Serving the citizens of Montana as their attorney general for the last eight years has been the honor of a lifetime. I’m proud of what we’ve been able to achieve in areas such as consumer protection, public safety, and social justice through unbiased devotion to the rule of law and bipartisan collaboration.”

Fox is the first Montana attorney general to receive the award. A panel of attorneys general, including members of the NAAG Executive Committee, selects the recipient annually. Fox served as president of the national association during its 2019-2020 term, focusing on transformational leadership and civility. Fox was first elected Montana attorney general in 2012 and reelected in 2016.

The award is named for former Michigan Attorney General Frank Kelley and former New Hampshire Attorney General Louis Wyman. Its annual recipient is sometimes informally referred to as the attorney general of the year.