Labor lawyer tapped to be Justice Dept. civil rights chief

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Washington labor lawyer who has represented large companies in discrimination lawsuits has been tapped to lead the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

Eric Dreiband was nominated to the post on Thursday. He is part of a steady stream of partners at the Jones Day law firm who have been flowing into the Trump administration.

Dreiband is known for his work on discrimination cases. He represented clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch before the Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of a Muslim woman who didn’t get hired after showing up wearing a religious headscarf. He also represented tobacco company R.J. Reynolds in an age discrimination case, among others.

Civil rights groups immediately expressed concern about the nomination. The ACLU says he has a “history of restricting civil rights.”