Who Is Harmeet K. Dhillon? Indian-American Lawyer Nominated As Assistant Attorney General By Donald Trump

US President-elect Donald Trump, on Monday, picked Indian-American lawyer Harmeet K. Dhillon as the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the Department of Justice. Dhillon, the fourth Indian-American named in the Trump 2.0 cabinet, will work alongside Pam Bondi who was named by Trump as the Attorney General.

Announcing Dhillion’s appointment in a post on the social media platform, Truth Social, Trump heaped praise on her

“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,” he wrote.

“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,” Trump added.

In response, Dhillon, in a post on X, thanked the Republican leader, her parents, brother and husband

“I'm extremely honored 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 wrote.

Born in Chandigarh in 1969, Harmeet K. Dhillon moved to the United States during her childhood for her father’s career opportunities. After finishing her initial studies, she went to the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics for high school.

She graduated from Dartmouth College with a BA in Classical Studies. During this time, she also served as the editor of the college newspaper Dartmouth Review.

Following this, Dhillon secured a law degree from the University of Virginia Law School and then went on to do her clerkship in the US Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.

According to her website, Dhillon’s law practice in New York, London and the San Francisco Bay Area has focussed on federal and state commercial litigation and arbitration. Her work involved an emphasis on unfair competition/trade secret misappropriation, intellectual property, complex contractual disputes, and First Amendment litigation. She is also a seasoned lawyer in securities, entertainment, employment discrimination and civil rights matters.