Michael Velchik

Last updated
Michael Velchik
NationalityAmerican
Alma mater St. Albans School (2008)
Harvard University (BA, 2012; JD, 2016)
OccupationLawyer
Known forSenior Counsel at the United States Department of Justice (Trump administration, 2025)

Michael Velchik is an American lawyer, currently serving as senior counsel at the US Department of Justice. [1] [2]

Contents

Early life and education

Velchik is from Oakton, Virginia, and attended St. Albans School, graduating in 2008. [3] [4] [5] He later attended Harvard University, receiving his Bachelor of Arts in 2012 and his Juris Doctor in 2016. [6] Velchik was a member of the Harvard men's lightweight rowing team. [5]

As a senior in 2011, he submitted a Latin paper from the perspective of Hitler for an assignment. [1] [7] Velchik was subsequently asked by his professor to redo the paper. [1] [8] Velchik delivered the Latin address at Harvard's 2012 commencement ceremony. [4] [9]

Career

In 2025, during the second Trump Administration, Velchik joined the Department of Justice as senior counsel.

In May 2025, he defended the administration's invocation of the Alien Enemies Act against illegal immigrants. [10] [11]

He is one of the leading figures in the administration's actions against Harvard University, which included cancelling federal grants and contracts on the basis of the university's alleged violations of civil rights law by purported fostering of antisemitism on campus. [12] Velchik was the sole lawyer arguing against the university and American Association of University Professors in Boston in July 2025. [13] [14] [15]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "DOJ lawyer in Harvard case once wrote a paper from Hitler's perspective - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2025-09-03.
  2. "Harvard slams Trump administration funding cuts in pivotal court hearing". The Washington Post. 2025-07-21. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved 2025-09-03.
  3. "The Passion of Latin Lovers". The Washington Post. 2007-12-09. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved 2025-09-03.
  4. 1 2 Koch, Katie (2012-05-23). "In full regalia, and ready to regale". Harvard Gazette. Retrieved 2025-09-03.
  5. 1 2 "Michael Velchik - 2011-12 - Men's Lightweight Rowing". Harvard University. Retrieved 2025-09-03.
  6. Evdokimova, Tamara (2025-07-21). "Harvard, Government Present Arguments in Funding Case | Harvard Magazine". www.harvardmagazine.com. Retrieved 2025-09-03.
  7. "DOJ Attorney Leading Harvard Lawsuit Once Called Hitler's 'Mein Kampf' His Favorite Book: Report". The New York Sun. 2025-09-03. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
  8. "DOJ Lawyer Waging War Against Harvard Sure Seems to Like Hitler". The New Republic. ISSN   0028-6583 . Retrieved 2025-09-03.
  9. Harvard Magazine (2012-05-24). Michael Velchik, 2012 Latin address at Harvard commencement . Retrieved 2025-09-03 via YouTube.
  10. "In Texas Borderland, Trump's Immigration Push Suffers Its Worst Legal Defeat Yet". 2025-05-02. Retrieved 2025-09-03.
  11. Cohen, Luc; Cohen, Luc (2025-04-21). "Judge skeptical Trump's Venezuela deportation notices comply with Supreme Court ruling". Reuters. Retrieved 2025-09-03.
  12. Piper-Vallillo, Emily (2025-07-21). "Lawyers for Harvard and Trump square off in court in Boston". NPR. Retrieved 2025-09-03.
  13. "Judge Challenges Trump Administration in Hearing on Harvard Funding". 2025-07-21. Retrieved 2025-09-03.
  14. Randazzo, Jess Bravin and Sara. "Even if Harvard Wins This Court Case, Trump Fight Won't Go Away". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2025-09-03.
  15. Shapiro, Ari (2025-07-21). "Lawyers for the Trump administration and Harvard University face off in federal court". NPR. Retrieved 2025-09-03.