David P. Grahn retired in March 2025 after 38 years of federal government service.

From mid-2023 to February 2025, David was the General Counsel of the Farm Credit Administration.  The Farm Credit Administration is the financial regulator of the Farm Credit System that is a significant source of financing for U.S. farmers/ranchers and rural communities.

From January 2021 through mid-2023, David was the Principal Deputy General Counsel at the United States Department of Agriculture.

From 2018 through January 2021, David was at the Farm Credit Administration where he was an Associate General Counsel and later became the Director of the Office of Regulatory Programs.

From 2002 through 2017, David was an Associate General Counsel at the Department of Agriculture’s Office of the General Counsel.  Starting in 2011, he was responsible for the legal advice to the Rural Development; Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services; Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs; and Farm Production and Conservation Mission Areas of United States Department of Agriculture.  This covered half of the Mission Areas and over 80 percent of budget of the Department.

Prior to 2002, David work in several positions in the Department and had a brief stint in private practice.  During this time, he worked on agricultural law issues ranging from agricultural trade to production agriculture support to crop insurance to bankruptcy.

During his career, David provided legal advice and technical assistance regarding a wide range of agricultural law issues to the Department and other Administration officials as well as the House and Senate Agriculture Committees.  Specifically, David provided advice with respect to six Farm Bills, countless appropriation acts, and other pieces of legislation impacting farmers/ranchers and rural communities.

David is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Law School and Carleton College.

Introduction to Federal Agricultural Law and the Forces That Shape it and Agricultural Policy