Willow Fortunoff

Class of 2021
Political Science, Spanish minor, Human Rights and Humanitarianism
MN Office of Attorney General

Keith Ellison took office in January with a sweeping vision. Throughout his campaign, he talked about his desire to become the “People’s Lawyer” who would stand up to any federal or corporate action that threatened Minnesotans. Unfortunately, this ideal contrasted with the limited budget left over from the previous administration, and so the office lacked the human resources to immediately address all the issues that Ellison wished to tackle. When I joined the executive office at the Capitol this summer as their first undergraduate staffer, my plan was to increase the level of community engagement by taking on projects which encompassed a variety of issues.

I primarily accomplished this goal by serving as a staff liaison to the Advisory Task Force on Lowering Pharmaceutical Drug Prices. This group is working throughout the fall to create a report with recommendations to the MN Legislature, U.S. Congress, federal and state law enforcement, and those involved in the pharmaceutical supply chain on lowering the outrageous costs of pharmaceutical drugs. I helped to facilitate their work by organizing meetings, preparing research memos, reaching out to experts to serve as speakers, and contributing to the report drafting processes with the team of attorneys. I also implemented a recording system for public and social media testimonials regarding drug prices which I shared with the attorneys and task force members so that their conversations centered around the issues facing real Minnesotans. This is a topic that has dominated national headlines, and the final report is intended to serve as a blueprint for other states as well.

Outside of the task force, I took on community outreach projects from Keith and other senior staffers. I was also involved in brainstorming conversations in which we discussed future strategies for addressing women’s economic security, wage theft, the rise in hate crimes across MN, and housing issues. As I reached the culmination of the fellowship, I worked on establishing an internship program so that other undergraduates like myself can work here.

Apart from the meetings which I staffed or helped organize, my colleagues included me in numerous events around the Capitol. This fellowship allowed me to work in close proximity to some of the top decision makers in the state, and there were so many experiences that I’ll never forget: sitting in on closed-door mediations, attending press conferences on groundbreaking new lawsuits, and riding shotgun in the AG’s car. I am so grateful to the Chuck Green Fellowship and the MN Office of Attorney General for this opportunity!