If you’re looking for the 86th Attorney General of the United States, you won’t find him at the Department of Justice anymore. He's gone. Since the transition of power in early 2025, the halls of the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building have a new occupant, and the man who once oversaw the most sprawling investigations in American history has pivoted back to a familiar world.
So, where is Merrick Garland exactly?
The short answer: He's back in private practice. Specifically, as of May 23, 2025, Merrick Garland returned to Arnold & Porter as a partner in their Washington, D.C. office. This wasn't a random choice. It’s a homecoming. He worked there decades ago before his long stint in the public sector, and now he’s anchored in their Appellate & Supreme Court practice group. He isn't making headlines with indictments or special counsel appointments these days. Instead, he’s a "valued counselor," as his firm puts it, navigating the complex world of high-stakes corporate litigation and white-collar defense.
The quiet exit from the DOJ
Most people expected a fanfare or a massive political firestorm when Garland left. Honestly, it was a bit more somber than that. Garland’s tenure ended officially on January 20, 2025.
He didn't just vanish. He gave an emotional farewell to DOJ employees in the Great Hall, telling them they had pursued "justice—not politics." It was a fitting end for a man whose entire brand was built on being the "boring" institutionalist. Whether you loved him or hated him, he stayed true to that script until the very last minute.
Leaving a job like that is a massive gear shift. You go from having 115,000 employees under you and the weight of Jan. 6 and the Trump documents cases on your shoulders to... billable hours. It’s a stark contrast. But for a jurist who spent 24 years on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit before joining the cabinet, the quiet life of an elite lawyer seems to suit him.
What is Merrick Garland doing at Arnold & Porter?
You might wonder what a former Attorney General actually does at a law firm. He isn't just sitting in a corner office with a gold watch. Garland is a partner in the Appellate & Supreme Court group.
This means he's likely:
- Providing strategic advice on cases headed to the highest courts.
- Consulting on "crisis management"—which, ironically, he dealt with daily at the DOJ.
- Handling matters involving antitrust, national security, and administrative law.
The firm was clearly thrilled to have him back. Ellen Kaye Fleishhacker, the firm's Global Co-Chair, noted that his "intellect" and "judgment" were huge assets. Basically, if a Fortune 500 company is in deep trouble with the government, Garland is the guy they want in the room because he knows exactly how the government thinks.
Where is Merrick Garland living?
He's still a resident of the Washington, D.C. area. Most of his professional life has been centered there. From his days clerking for Justice William J. Brennan to his decades on the bench, D.C. is home. He has deep roots in the legal community there, though he was originally born in Chicago.
He’s 73 now. Most people at that age are thinking about golf or grandbabies, but Garland has always been a workhorse. His return to private practice suggests he wasn't quite ready to stop being part of the legal conversation.
A legacy of mixed reviews
You can't talk about where he is now without talking about why he left such a polarized wake. To some, Garland was the hero who restored "regular order." To others, he was too slow.
Critics on the left frequently complained that he took too long to appoint Special Counsel Jack Smith. They felt the delay in investigating the 2020 election interference was a "devastating legal blunder," as some legal analysts have argued. Meanwhile, the right viewed his DOJ as "weaponized," pointing to the search of Mar-a-Lago as a bridge too far.
Garland seemed to take pride in being hated by both sides. He often quoted Taylor Swift—yes, really—telling CBS’s 60 Minutes that when it comes to the critics, you just have to "shake it off."
Key milestones in his career:
- 1995: Supervised the Oklahoma City bombing investigation.
- 1997-2021: Served on the U.S. Court of Appeals (Chief Judge from 2013-2020).
- 2016: Nominated for the Supreme Court by Obama (but never got a hearing).
- 2021-2025: Served as the 86th U.S. Attorney General.
- 2025-Present: Partner at Arnold & Porter.
What's next for the former AG?
Don't expect him to write a "tell-all" book anytime soon. That isn't his style. He’s much more likely to show up in a footnote of a Supreme Court brief than on a reality TV show or a cable news panel.
If you are tracking where is Merrick Garland for legal reasons, you should look toward the federal appellate dockets. He's back in the private sector, likely making significantly more money than he did in the government, and enjoying a life that doesn't involve being subpoenaed by Congress every other week.
Actionable Insights for Following Garland's Work:
- Monitor Arnold & Porter’s Press Releases: This is where his latest legal wins or appearances will be announced.
- Check the Supreme Court Docket: Look for cases where he is listed as "Counsel of Record."
- Look for Law Review Articles: Garland has a history of writing deep-dive academic pieces, like his famous 87-page Harvard Law Review article on the "hard look" standard.
He might be out of the political spotlight, but in the world of D.C. law, he's just as present as he's ever been.