Jeffrey A. Rosen

Jeffrey A. Rosen is an American attorney who has spent more than three decades in both private legal practice and federal government service. He served as the United States Deputy Attorney General from 2019 to 2020 and stepped into the role of Acting Attorney General for the final weeks of the Trump administration, from late December 2020 until the inauguration of President Biden in January 2021. Prior to his tenure at the Department of Justice, Rosen held senior positions in the Departments of Transportation and Budget, and he has been a partner at the law firm Kirkland & Ellis for nearly thirty years.

Early life and career

Rosen was born on April 2, 1958, in Boston into a Jewish family. He grew up in Brockton, Massachusetts, where he attended Brockton High School and served as editor of the school newspaper. Although his parents did not attend college, they encouraged him to pursue higher education. Rosen earned a Bachelor of Arts in economics from Northwestern University in 1979, having also been elected president of the student council during his senior year. He went on to Harvard Law School, graduating magna cum laude with a Juris Doctor in 1982. His classmates at Harvard included several individuals who would later hold prominent federal offices, such as Alberto Gonzales, Deval Patrick, and Jack Reed.

Immediately after law school, Rosen joined the Washington, D.C., office of Kirkland & Ellis as an associate. He became a partner in 1988 at the age of thirty and subsequently served in a variety of management capacities within the firm. In 1999 he was elected to Kirkland & Ellis’s global management committee, a position he held until his departure for public service in 2003. During his time at the firm, Rosen represented major corporations—such as General Motors, AOL, Netscape, and Marriott—in complex business litigation matters.

From 1996 through 2003, Rosen also taught professional responsibility (legal ethics) as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center. He was elected to membership in the American Law Institute in 1996 and served as chair of the American Bar Association’s Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice from 2015 to 2016.

Cabinet tenure

Rosen entered federal government service in 2003 when he was confirmed by the Senate to serve as general counsel for the United States Department of Transportation (DOT). In that capacity, he advised Secretary Norman Mineta and oversaw a staff of more than four hundred attorneys. The DOT’s budget during his tenure approached sixty billion dollars, and Rosen led efforts to streamline regulatory processes in order to reduce costs while maintaining safety and efficiency standards. He also served as the government’s representative on the Amtrak Board of Directors from 2005 to 2006 and testified before Congress on a variety of transportation matters.

In 2006, Rosen moved to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) where he held the positions of general counsel and senior policy advisor until 2009. Reporting to Budget Director Rob Portman, he assisted with agency budgets, appropriations, and regulatory issues, advising both the director and the President on executive orders and other policy initiatives. He published an article titled “Putting Regulators on a Budget,” reflecting his focus on fiscal responsibility in government regulation.

After leaving OMB, Rosen returned to private practice at Kirkland & Ellis in 2009, continuing there until his appointment as Deputy Secretary of Transportation in 2017. In that role, he served under Secretary Elaine Chao and was responsible for overseeing the department’s operations and policy implementation. His confirmation by the Senate in May 2017 marked a return to senior executive leadership within the federal government.

Rosen’s next major appointment came in May 2019 when he became Deputy Attorney General of the United States, serving under Attorney General William Barr until December 2020. When Barr resigned at the end of 2020, Rosen was appointed Acting Attorney General and served from December 24, 2020, to January 20, 2021. During this brief period, he managed the day‑to‑day functions of the Department of Justice and represented the department in interactions with other federal agencies and external stakeholders.

Legacy

Jeffrey A. Rosen’s career reflects a blend of high‑level legal practice and public service across multiple branches of government. His work at Kirkland & Ellis established him as an experienced litigator for large corporate clients, while his roles in transportation and budget policy underscored a commitment to efficient regulatory frameworks and fiscal oversight. As Deputy Attorney General and Acting Attorney General, he maintained continuity within the Department of Justice during a period of transition.

Beyond his executive duties, Rosen has contributed to legal scholarship and professional development. His teaching at Georgetown University Law Center helped shape generations of law students in ethical practice, and his leadership positions within the American Bar Association and the American Law Institute demonstrate an ongoing engagement with the broader legal community. In 2021 he joined the American Enterprise Institute as a nonresident fellow, continuing to influence discussions on public policy.

In May 2022, Rosen was appointed chair of Virginia’s Commission to Combat Antisemitism, where he oversaw the commission’s work and guided its report issued in December 2022. This role highlights his involvement in addressing social issues and promoting community resilience.

Overall, Jeffrey A. Rosen’s professional trajectory illustrates a sustained dedication to public service, legal excellence, and thoughtful regulation, leaving a record of stewardship across several key federal agencies and within the broader legal profession.