Christopher Schroeder, Charles S. Murphy professor of law and public policy studies at Duke School of Law, was confirmed today by the U.S. Senate to serve as assistant attorney general for the Justice Department Office of Legal Policy.
Schroeder was originally nominated for the position by President Barack Obama May 21, 2009, but the Senate did not act on the nomination during its session last year. Obama resubmitted Schroeder’s name in January.
Schroeder served in former president Bill Clinton’s administration as acting attorney general in the Office of Legal Counsel at the Department of Justice.
“I am pleased to welcome Chris back to the Department of Justice,” Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement Wednesday. “The Office of Legal Policy serves a crucial role at the department in coordinating some of our most important projects and initiatives. Chris is an experienced and talented attorney, and I look forward to working with him on behalf of the American people.”
In a February interview with The Chronicle, Schroeder called the nomination a surprise and said he was delighted to have been considered for the position and be seen as someone fitting for the role.
Schroeder, who is the current director of Duke’s Program in Public Law, also said in February that he intends to return to Duke to teach after his tenure in the Department of Justice.
—from staff reports
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