Alina Habba is sworn in as interim U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 28, 2025. (Reuters File)
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Alina Habba resigned as U.S. attorney in New Jersey on Monday after a panel of federal judges ruled last week that she was serving in the position unlawfully.
Habba will become a senior adviser to Attorney General Pam Bondi and is expected to have a role overseeing U.S. attorneys across the country, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. It was not immediately clear who would lead the New Jersey U.S. attorney’s office
A former personal lawyer to President Donald Trump, Habba began leading the New Jersey office in March. In July, when her tenure was expected to end, the Justice Department kept her in place through a series of complex maneuvers that led to immediate legal challenges.
After an appeals court ruled last week that she had been serving unlawfully, the Justice Department could have appealed the decision to the Supreme Court. But Habba’s resignation may enable the Justice Department to sidestep a legal challenge to her authority that could have placed precedent-setting limits on President Donald Trump’s power to choose his own top federal prosecutors.
“As a result of the Third Circuit’s ruling, and to protect the stability and integrity of the office which I love, I have decided to step down,” Habba wrote, adding: “But do not mistake compliance for surrender. This decision will not weaken the Justice Department and it will not weaken me.”
In her post, Habba blasted judges in New Jersey who declined to extend her tenure, instead appointing her top deputy, Desiree Leigh Grace, to replace her. The Justice Department fired Grace, keeping Habba in the role.
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This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
By Jonah E. Bromwich and Tracey Tully
c. 2025 The New York Times Company
