Harmeet Dhillon has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate to lead the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. The Senate approved her nomination in a 52-45 vote, with Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski joining Democrats in opposition.
The Civil Rights Division, one of the Justice Department’s largest and most influential branches, is charged with enforcing federal statutes that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, disability, religion, and national origin. Dhillon will now head the division, which plays a central role in major legal battles over voting rights, police reform, religious liberty, and access to public accommodations.
Her confirmation fulfills a nomination announced by then-President-elect Donald Trump in December, who emphasized her long record of advocacy on behalf of civil liberties, especially around issues of free speech, religious expression, and workplace discrimination.
“I am pleased to nominate Harmeet K. Dhillon as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice. Throughout her career, Harmeet has stood up consistently to protect our cherished Civil Liberties, including taking on Big Tech for censoring our Free Speech, representing Christians who were prevented from praying together during COVID, and suing corporations who use woke policies to discriminate against their workers,” Trump declared in his Truth Social post at the time according to Fox News.
A Legal Career Rooted in Civil Liberties and Constitutional Law
Dhillon brings more than two decades of legal experience to the role, having founded and led the San Francisco-based Dhillon Law Group since 2004. Her firm has taken on a wide array of cases, ranging from complex business litigation to high-profile First Amendment and civil rights lawsuits.
Her background includes previous roles as Of Counsel at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe and litigation associate positions at top firms like Cooley Godward, Sidley & Austin, and Shearman & Sterling. She began her legal career as a clerk for U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Paul V. Niemeyer on the Fourth Circuit.
Dhillon holds a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, where she served on the editorial board of the Virginia Law Review and was president of the Federalist Society. She earned her undergraduate degree in Classical Studies from Dartmouth College, where she was active in student journalism and debate.