Catherine Eschbach Appointed as EEOC Principal Deputy General Counsel

WASHINGTON - Catherine Eschbach was sworn in today as principal deputy general counsel at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

"I am honored that I have been chosen to serve the EEOC, and those who depend on it, in this new role," Eschbach said. "The EEOC's mission of equal employment opportunity for all is crucial and indispensable, and I embrace the opportunity to pursue robust, efficient, and transparent enforcement of our nation's civil rights laws and implement President Trump's enforcement priorities via the EEOC's litigation program."

"I am excited to add Catherine to the team," said EEOC Acting Chair Andrea Lucas. "Her expertise as a strategic and creative litigator in ground-breaking litigation, paired with her leadership experience in government, will be a perfect combination for driving forward the EEOC's litigation program as we vigorously pursue the ambitious civil rights agenda set forth by the Trump Administration."

Eschbach most recently was the director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), part of the U.S. Department of Labor, where she oversaw its transition to its new scope of mission. While at the Department of Labor, she contributed to inter-agency efforts to eliminate DEI-related race and sex discrimination and restore a focus on merit and equal opportunity throughout the government, the federal contractor community, and the private sector more broadly.

Prior to her time leading the OFCCP, Eschbach practiced appellate law at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, focusing on complex constitutional, statutory, and administrative law issues. Earlier in her career, Eschbach served as a judicial law clerk for now-Chief Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and Judge David Hittner of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. She earned her law degree from the Pepperdine University School of Law and a Bachelor of Science from Vanderbilt University.

For information on the EEOC's litigation program, visit: https://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc-litigation

The EEOC is the sole federal agency authorized to investigate and litigate against businesses and other private sector employers for violations of federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. For public sector employers, the EEOC shares jurisdiction with the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division; the EEOC is responsible for investigating charges against state and local government employers before referring them to DOJ for potential litigation. The EEOC also is responsible for coordinating the federal government's employment antidiscrimination effort. More information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.