Senate Confirms Rod Rosenstein as Deputy Attorney General

On April 25, 2017, the United States Senate confirmed Rod Rosenstein as the new Deputy Attorney General by a vote of 94-6. Rosenstein will replace Dana Boente, who had been serving as Acting Deputy Attorney General, as the number two official in the Department of Justice [see blog].

Rosenstein's background is detailed on the Department of Justice website [link].

Rosenstein served in the United States Attorney's Office for the past 26 years. Before being confirmed as Deputy Attorney General, Rosenstein served as the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland since 2005. He was the only United States Attorney appointed by President George W. Bush to serve in the same capacity throughout the entire administration of President Barack Obama.

Interestingly, in 2007, President Bush nominated Rosenstein to fill a vacant seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. However, Rosenstein's nomination stalled in the United States Senate and never reached a vote.

Rosenstein graduated from Harvard Law School. Before beginning his service with the Department of Justice, he clerked for Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

As the top deputy to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Rosenstein will play a key role in developing and implementing Department of Justice policy over the coming years. This is significant in the immigration context to the extent that the Department of Justice plays a critical role in our immigration system. Rosenstein has impeccable credentials for the position, and represents one of President Trump's strongest picks for a key post thus far.