President Donald Trump nominated Alina Habba, his former campaign spokeswoman and personal lawyer, to be New Jersey’s U.S. attorney.
Trump appointed Habba in March to the office as interim U.S. attorney in the Garden State, endorsing a loyal supporter to his administration despite her lack of prosecutorial experience — a move that garnered sharp criticism from Democrats.
Habba’s 120-day interim term expires in three weeks, unless she’s confirmed by the Senate or New Jersey’s U.S. District Court judges allow her to stay in her role.
Here’s everything you need to know about Habba:
Background
The 41-year-old was born in Summit, New Jersey, to Iraqi immigrant parents. She studied at Lehigh University, and later earned her Juris Doctor from Widener University Commonwealth Law School. Before attending law school, she worked in the fashion industry.
After law school, Habba began her career as a lawyer. She rose to fame by representing Trump in a number of high-profile cases, becoming one of his most prominent legal allies.
