Attorney General Chris Carr announced the following leadership changes at the Department of Law.

“When I was sworn into office, I promised to work with the outstanding staff at the Department to provide legal representation of the highest quality to the agencies, officers and employees of state government and make certain our Department continues to have a reputation of dependability, honesty and integrity with the citizens of the great state of Georgia,” said Attorney General Chris Carr. “As I’ve said before, the seriousness of this work requires focus and a readiness to tackle our state's challenges and opportunities—and that's what Georgians can expect from Dennis Dunn, Sarah Hawkins Warren and Travis Johnson.”

Dennis Dunn, Chief Deputy Attorney General

Implemented Dec. 1, 2016  

Dennis Dunn has been employed at the Department of Law since June 1983. As Chief Deputy, Dennis serves as the primary legal advisor to the Attorney General and supervises all attorney casework at the Department of Law.

Prior to this role, Dennis was director of the Government Operation Division representing a diverse array of agencies, officers and issues.  Those included matters related to health and social service programs, the State’s retirement systems, litigation defending claims of employment discrimination, licensing and disciplining of teachers, many aspects of Georgia’s higher education, elections and judicial systems and providing assistance in resolving open government disputes involving local governments.

Dennis is a 1983 graduate of Emory University School of Law and received a B.A. degree magna cum laude from Stetson University in DeLand, Florida.  He is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, all federal district courts of Georgia, the Georgia Supreme Court, the Georgia Court of Appeals and the State’s trial courts.  During his tenure with the office, Dennis has authored over 40 opinions of the Attorney General.  He is a Master member of the Bleckley Inn of Court at the Georgia State University School of Law.

Sarah Hawkins Warren, Solicitor General

Effective January 1, 2017  

As Solicitor General, Sarah Hawkins Warren will oversee appellate litigation and collaborate on all phases of significant litigation with other attorneys at the Department of Law.  Sarah previously served as Deputy Solicitor General and Special Counsel for Water Litigation, where she represented Georgia in the United States Supreme Court in an equitable apportionment action filed by Florida over water in the ACF Basin (Florida v. Georgia).

Before joining the Department of Law, Sarah was a litigation partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP in Washington, D.C., where she was outside counsel to Georgia in Florida v. Georgia.  She also represented clients in litigation before state and federal courts in matters involving commercial disputes, products liability, class-action defense, contracts and First Amendment and defamation. Sarah served as a law clerk to then-Chief Judge J.L. Edmondson of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and to the Honorable Richard J. Leon of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Before law school, Sarah served as Deputy Press Secretary for the White House Office of Management and Budget (2005), and before that on President George W. Bush’s debate prep team for his 2004 re-election campaign.

An Atlanta native, Sarah received her B.A. in Public Policy and Spanish, magna cum laude, from Duke University and her J.D. from Duke Law School magna cum laude.  While at Duke Law, Sarah was Editor in Chief of Law and Contemporary Problems and was on the Executive Committee of the Federalist Society. Sarah currently serves on the Duke Law School Board of Visitors and is an Executive Board member for the Atlanta Chapter of the Federalist Society. 

Travis Johnson, Chief of Staff

Effective January 1, 2017

In his role as Chief of Staff, Travis Johnson will oversee all operations and internal and external communications for the Department of Law. He will also serve as the Department’s primary liaison on public policy matters, government and community relations and legislative affairs. 

Before joining the Department of Law, Travis was the Assistant Commissioner of External Affairs and Facilities for the Technical College System of Georgia.  In this capacity, he served as the primary liaison between TCSG, its twenty-two colleges and government officials. Working with TCSG facilities staff, he would plan and prioritize the annual system-wide capital outlay budget for the agency.  Travis also represented TCSG on policy and budgetary matters impacting the agency and its 85 campuses.  

Prior to this role, he held the position of Deputy Chief Operating Officer for the state, coordinating with and providing operational support for state agency authorities and programs.  Travis also served as a member of Governor Deal’s policy team, advising on issues including transportation, revenue and tax legislation, as well public safety and criminal justice policy.

Travis earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Georgia and holds a master's degree, magna cum laude, in Economics from Georgia State University. He and his wife, Wendy, attend Buckhead Church. They reside in Atlanta.