Incoming Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has tapped the longtime leader of the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota to be his second-in-command.

Ellison announced Friday that John Keller would be the state’s next Chief Deputy Attorney General after Ellison takes office next month. Ellison and other state office holders will be sworn in Jan. 7.

“I can think of no one better suited to help me serve the people of Minnesota,” Ellison said in a statement. “For many years, John has successfully managed and grown a well-respected nonprofit legal practice that has helped people of all backgrounds navigate complex areas of the law so that they can afford their lives, reach new dreams, and live with dignity.”

As chief deputy Keller will help Ellison manage the day-to-day operations of the office, including working with other deputies, managers, attorneys and staff. He plans to help Ellison implement his vision for the attorney general’s office.

“It represents the perfect opportunity to continue on a larger scale the work to which I’ve dedicated my professional life: helping to transform lives and strengthen our democratic and legal systems and protections,” Keller said of Ellison’s plans for the office.

Keller was raised on a Minnesota dairy farm and is the first person in his family to become a lawyer. He graduated from Hamline University in 1996. He worked for the League of Minnesota Cities and the state Court of Appeals before joining the Immigrant Law Center.

He worked as staff attorney and legal director at the law center before leading it. The Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota provides legal help to low-income immigrants and refugees.

Under Keller’s leadership, the law center grew from a small operation to having five offices around the state with 32 staffers and 350 trained volunteer attorneys.