A senior U.S. Justice Department lawyer who helped defend several high-profile initiatives of President Donald Trump’s administration is heading back to Jones Day.
Yaakov Roth will return to the Washington office of the law firm as a partner on September 8, following roughly a year and a half in senior roles within the Justice Department’s Civil Division.
During his time in government, Roth was involved in some of the administration’s most closely watched legal battles. He represented the government in lower courts and appeals over challenges to Trump’s proposed $400 million White House ballroom project, which involves the site of the demolished East Wing. The administration is continuing its challenge to a ruling that found the project unlawful.
Roth also supervised litigation involving Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whose deportation to El Salvador was found by a judge to have been wrongful. In another prominent dispute, he led the government’s defense of White House restrictions affecting Associated Press access.
After joining the Justice Department, Roth initially served as acting assistant attorney general for the Civil Division for four months before becoming the division’s principal deputy. During that period, he argued 11 appeals for the federal government, bringing the number of appeals he has handled during his career to more than 50.
Reflecting on his government service, Roth described the experience as demanding and exhilarating, pointing to the heavy volume of civil litigation directed at the new administration’s agenda.
Before entering government, Roth built a substantial practice at Jones Day. His previous work included representing major corporate clients such as KalshiEX, Walmart, Eli Lilly, TikTok and Huawei.
A financial disclosure filed when Roth entered the Justice Department showed that he earned more than $7.1 million in partnership income during his time at Jones Day.
The 2,500-lawyer firm has long maintained connections with Trump’s political and government circles. Jones Day represented Trump during his 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns, while several lawyers from the firm have moved into senior positions across both Trump administrations.
The Justice Department’s Civil Division is currently headed by Brett Shumate, another former Jones Day partner.
Roth’s return adds another experienced government litigator to Jones Day’s Washington ranks as the firm continues to draw on lawyers with extensive experience at the highest levels of the federal government.
