US President-elect Donald Trump on Monday named Indian American lawyer Harmeet K Dhillon as the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the Department of Justice. Dhillon is the fourth Indian-American to be nominated in the Trump 2.0 Cabinet after Dr Jay Bhattacharya (National Institutes of Health (NIH)), Vivek Ramaswamy (Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)) and Kashyap ‘Kash’ Patel (Director of FBI).

In a post on Truth Social, Trump praised Dhillon for taking on tech companies for censoring free speech, representing Christians who were prevented from praying together during the Covid-19 pandemic, and suing corporations who use woke policies to discriminate against their workers.

“Harmeet is one of the top election lawyers in the country, fighting to ensure that all, and only, legal votes are counted. Harmeet is a respected member of the Sikh religious community. In her new role at the DOJ, Harmeet will be a tireless defender of our constitutional rights, and will enforce our civil rights and election laws fairly and firmly,” he said.

In response, Dhillon said she was “extremely honoured” to be nominated and be a part of an incredible team of lawyers led by Pam Bondi, Trump’s attorney general pick.

“I’m extremely honoured by President Trump’s nomination to assist with our nation’s civil rights agenda. It has been my dream to be able to serve our great country, and I am so excited to be part of an incredible team of lawyers led by @PamBondi. I cannot wait to get to work!” she tweeted.

“I would not be here today without my amazing mother and brother’s support, and my beloved father Tejpal and husband Sarv, who did not live to see this day. I hope I will honour their memories, with God’s grace,” she said.

ALL ABOUT HARMEET DHILLON

Born on April 2, 1969, in Chandigarh, Dhillon moved to the US with her family at the age of two and grew up in a Sikh household in rural North Carolina. She later moved to New York City.

Dhillon graduated from Dartmouth College with a degree in Classical Studies and English, and then earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law, where she was a member of the Editorial Board of the Virginia Law Review.

She began her career as a law clerk for Judge Paul V Niemeyer of the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and later worked in the Constitutional Torts Section of the Department of Justice, Civil Division. She then joined the prestigious law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, where she gained experience in complex civil litigation, constitutional law, and appellate practice.

After a decade at international law firms in New York, London, Silicon Valley, and San Francisco, Dhillon founded her own law firm, Dhillon Law Group, in 2006.

Dhillon specialises in several key areas of law, including commercial litigation, employment law, First Amendment rights and election law. Her practice also encompasses securities, entertainment, employment discrimination and civil rights matters.

She has a niche practice of representing clients in election and campaign law, including general compliance, ethics representation and intellectual property issues related to campaign communications.