Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced Khyla D. Craine as the new chief legal director for the Michigan Department of State (MDOS). She’s served as deputy legal director since 2019, providing high-level legal counsel to the Secretary of State and department leadership.
Biography:
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- Prior to joining the department, she served as assistant general counsel for the NAACP, where she was responsible for reviewing and editing legal briefs involving civil rights claims for argument before state and federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court.
- Craine has a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from South Carolina State University and a Juris Doctor from Howard University.
- She holds Federal Bar Certificates from the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. District Court of Maryland.
- She holds State Bar Certificates from the states of Michigan and Maryland.
Achievements at MDOS:
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- Craine represented the department during the expedited procurement process of the accessible online absent voter application tool during the 2020 election cycle.
- For the 2020 and 2022 elections, she managed legal guidance and logistics for the Secretary of State’s ground support units, coordinating three regional teams.
- Developed and managed the Road to Restoration program, which provided free driver’s license restoration clinics in communities throughout Michigan.
- Craine established and managed partnerships with nonprofit and corporate entities and consulted on the implementation of similar clinics in Hawaii and Kansas.
