Gov. David Ige has appointed veteran government lawyer Russell Suzuki as Hawaii’s attorney general.

Suzuki has been acting attorney general since Feb. 2, when former Attorney General Doug Chin resigned to become lieutenant governor.

The Hawaii attorney general is the top legal and law enforcement officer for the state, and Suzuki’s appointment is subject to Senate confirmation.

Suzuki previously served as first deputy attorney general under Attorneys General Douglas Chin, David Louie and Mark Bennett during his 36 years with the department. He also worked as a supervising deputy attorney general of the Administration Division and Education Division.

He also served as counsel to various state boards and commissions, including the Land Use Commission, the Board of Education, the Board of Regents, the Employees’ Retirement System, the Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund and the Judicial Selection Commission.

Before making the move to the public sector, he practiced criminal defense law, family law, business law and military law at the law offices of Yoshiro Nakamura.

“Russell brings a wealth of experience to this position, and I know he will continue to provide sound legal advice to the executive, legislative and judicial branches of state government,” Ige said in a written statement.

Suzuki earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Hawaii and his law degree from Ohio State University.