Brett Shumate was confirmed to lead the Justice Department’s Civil Division, a unit now tasked with defending lawsuits challenging President Donald Trump’s executive actions.
The Republican-led Senate voted 51-41 along party lines on Monday to confirm Shumate, a former Jones Day partner who during the first Trump administration led the Civil Division’s federal programs branch.
As the head of the department’s largest litigating section, Shumate will also be charged with overseeing units including the Office of Immigration Litigation, which is responsible for civil immigration matters.
Shumate has worked inside the department since January, making appearances in court to defend Trump’s executive actions seeking to undo birthright citizenship and issue global tariffs.
He appeared in court last month to defend the legality of Trump’s use of an emergency law to apply the tariffs. Two courts found he unlawfully issued them, though the cases are now on appeal.
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