Dhillon DOJ: A Purge or a Reset?
Ben Thomson, LawFuel contributing editor
The appointment of Harmeet Dhillon as the top government lawyer for civil rights law is the kind of reshuffle that resets enforcement priorities, unsettles BigLaw practice groups, and sets the stage for an increase in DEI litigation.
Most DOJ appointments don’t trend outside of D.C. legal circles. Harmeet Dhillon is different.
Donald Trump named attorney and conservative activist Harmeet K. Dhillon as his choice for Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights and she was sworn in by Attorney General Pam Biondi in April, but it was a move that signals a sharp turn in how the Justice Department’s civil rights program may be enforced and has caught the attention of law firms engaged in the civil rights arena.
Dhillon, 56, is a corporate lawyer turned political litigator who became a household name on Fox News during the Covid-19 pandemic by challenging lockdowns, mask mandates, and quarantine orders.
Her nomination places one of the right’s most visible legal strategists at the helm of a department that traditionally enforces protections for minorities, voting rights, and vulnerable groups —responsibilities that Dhillon is widely expected to interpret through a conservative lens on issues ranging from affirmative action to religious liberty.
From Punjab to Politics
Born in Chandigarh, India, into a Punjabi Sikh family, Dhillon emigrated to the United States as a child.
She studied classical literature at Dartmouth College, where she often clashed with what she saw as campus liberal orthodoxy, before earning her JD at the University of Virginia School of Law.
A clerkship on the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals was followed by stints at major firms, where she handled securities and employment cases, before establishing her own California practice in 2006.
Early Rights Work and Rise in the GOP
In the aftermath of 9/11, Dhillon worked with the ACLU on cases involving discrimination against Sikhs.
But her legal activism soon aligned more directly with Republican politics. She served as vice chair of the California Republican Party between 2008 and 2010, building a reputation as one of the few outspoken conservatives in San Francisco—a role SF Gate memorably described as “the loneliest job in politics.”
Building a Conservative Legal Network
Dhillon’s national profile grew with her founding of the Center for American Liberty in 2018, a nonprofit built to challenge what it frames as government overreach and illegal discrimination.
The organization boasts a “nationwide network of attorneys” fighting for individual freedoms, and its lawsuits, particularly during the pandemic, cemented her status as a leading voice of the conservative legal movement.
With her nomination, Dhillon now stands to bring a trademark combative style into one of the Justice Department’s most scrutinized roles.
For her supporters, she represents a defender of liberty against progressive excess. For critics, her appointment marks a politicization of civil rights enforcement. Either way, her DoJ tenure is likely to test just how far the DOJ’s mandate can be reshaped by ideology.
A Confirmation That Redefined the Division
Dhillon scraped through the Senate with a 52–45 vote and according to reports in the Washington Post lead to more than half the Civil Rights Division’s attorneys resigned
The Division historically focused on voting rights, systemic discrimination, and civil liberties enforcement. Under Dhillon, that emphasis shifted almost overnight toward antisemitism, anti-Christian bias, and federal scrutiny of DEI programs.
Sidebar: What BigLaw Should Be Watching
For lawyers, the Dhillon DOJ is a reminder that enforcement priorities are political currency and law firms will need to adapt as the likelihood of DEI litigation grows with the appointment of Harmeet Dhillon.
Diversity Programs at Risk
Corporate DEI initiatives are now potential DOJ targets. Expect BigLaw’s employment and compliance practices to be stress-tested as Dhillon’s office looks for “reverse discrimination” cases.
Voting Rights Practices Shrinking
Law firms that built practices around voting rights litigation may find their caseloads drying up. The realignment is stark.
Private Clients Reacting
Clients will want answers. Law firms that anticipate DOJ’s posture and advise proactively will score trust points.
Harmeet Dhillon
