President Barack Obama has nominated Duke professor Christopher H. Schroeder to become an assistant attorney general in the U.S. Department of Justice.

According to his Duke biography Schroeder has served as acting assistant attorney general in the department’s Office of Legal Counsel, Barb Barrett reports.

There, he was responsible for legal advice to the attorney general, the executive office of the president and other executive branch agencies.

At Duke Law School is he is director of the Program in Public Law.

He would replace Elisebeth Collins Cook. Her job is to manage the development of civil and criminal policy intiatives, according to her biography on the Department of Justice website.