Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax’s move to Morrison & Foerster, announced this week, puts him in the unusual, but not unprecedented, position of splitting time between a private legal practice and a high-profile public office.

In a statement Tuesday, Morrison & Foerster announced that Fairfax, 39, has joined the firm as a partner in its litigation, trials, investigations and white-collar defense groups. The move comes after Fairfax won the Virginia lieutenant governor’s race in November, marking just the second time in the state’s history that an African-American candidate was elected to statewide office.