Department of
Legal Affairs
ATTORNEY GENERAL OF AMERICAN SAMOA
Talauega Eleasalo V. Ale
Eleasalo Va'alele Ale ("Salo") was born and raised in American Samoa and graduated from Marist Brothers' High School in Malaeloa. Like most young Samoans, Salo left the islands after high school to pursue higher education and work experience in the mainland U.S. with the goal of someday returning to American Samoa to serve his people. He graduated in 1990 from Truman State University and earned his law degree from Drake University, graduating with honors in 1994.
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Between college and law school, he served as a legislative assistant to United States Senator Daniel K. Inouye. Salo also clerked for Chief Judge James Burns of the Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals after law school.
He spent the next seventeen years practicing law in Minneapolis, Minnesota with the International law firm of Faegre Baker Daniels where he made partner in 2003. At Faegre, Salo developed a successful commercial litigation practice handling high-profile disputes involving complex real estate transactions, eminent domain, nonprofits, and commercial contracts.
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Salo was appointed by Governor Lolo M. Moliga and confirmed by the legislature in February 2014 as American Samoa's 10th Attorney General since the Territory started electing its own governor in 1979. As Attorney General, Salo is the chief legal advisor and law enforcement officer of the American Samoa Government. He heads the Department of Legal Affairs, which includes the Office of the Attorney General, Immigration Office, Office of the Registrar, the Consumer Protection Bureau, and the Certificates of Identity Division. Since taking office, Salo has focused on improving the quality and delivery of legal services by the Department of Legal Affairs. Following the 2016 elections, he was reappointed by Governor Moliga to serve as Attorney General, which appointment was confirmed by the legislature on February 2017.
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He is actively involved in the community in his roles as attorney general, church deacon, church choir member, and as a Samoan Matai – he currently holds the chiefly orator title “Talauega”. In his spare time, Salo enjoys reading, music, gardening, and golfing.