Anjali Motgi, former Chief of Staff of the Department of Justice's (DOJ) Civil Division, has joined Jenner & Block as a Partner in its Washington, DC office. Anjali, who served for over eight years at the DOJ and most recently helped supervise the Civil Division's six branches, brings extensive civil litigation and government experience to the firm's Litigation Department.
During her tenure at the DOJ, Anjali helped to managed many of the Department's highest-profile matters, including litigation and policy related to diversity and equity issues, challenges to the Department of Education's student loan programs and Title IX rules, and litigation related to the Camp Lejeune Justice Act. She helped oversee litigation strategy in a wide variety of matters while also managing the operations of the Civil Division's more than 1,000 lawyers.
"Anjali's exceptional track record in handling complex, high-stakes litigation and her deep understanding of government processes make her an outstanding addition to our firm," said Washington, DC Office Managing Partner Lindsay Harrison. "Her experience overseeing some of the DOJ's most significant matters will be invaluable to our clients navigating complex regulatory and litigation challenges."
Anjali’s government experience spans a broad range of matters, including Administrative Procedures Act (APA) litigation, constitutional challenges, federal preemption, consumer protection, national security issues, First Amendment cases, separation-of-powers issues and questions about Executive authority, immigration and asylum matters, defense of reproductive rights after the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, and more. Throughout her DOJ career, she served as a trial lawyer in the Federal Programs Branch of the Civil Division, then as an attorney-adviser in the Office of Legal Counsel. In these roles, she handled sensitive national security litigation, managed complex administrative law matters, and worked closely with two White House Counsel’s Offices, the General Counsel’s Offices of nearly every federal agency, and all of the leadership offices within the DOJ.
"I'm thrilled to be joining Jenner & Block and to have the opportunity to collaborate with its exceptional team of litigators," said Anjali. "The firm's approach to litigation—with integrity and creativity—and the impactful work I will be able to do are well aligned with my experiences in public service and aspirations for private practice."
Anjali clerked for the Hon. James Boasberg on the US District Court for the District of Columbia and the Hon. Diana Motz on the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. She received her JD from Yale Law School, where she was an editor of the Yale Law Journal and a member of the Supreme Court Advocacy Clinic. She earned her AB, magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from Harvard University.
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