Longtime litigator Eric Grant returns to U.S. Attorney’s Office in Sacramento

The U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday a new interim U.S. Attorney for the California’s Eastern District, marking the third person to assume command of the Sacramento-based office after its longtime leader resigned earlier this year.

Eric Grant, appointed by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, led the federal government’s response in high-profile environmental law cases, joining the civil service in President Donald Trump’s first term. He returned to private practice in 2021 to join the law firm Hicks Thomas in its Sacramento office.

Grant spearheaded the government’s defense to the Atlantic Coast Pipeline after environmental groups filed a lawsuit opposing the $8 billion tunnel through the Appalachian Trial to deliver natural gas, according to his biography posted on Hicks Thomas’ website. That case appeared before the U.S. Supreme Court, and the justices handed the federal government a victory. He also enforced the Clean Water Act in 2021 and obtained a $900,000 “compensatory mitigation” from a developer and other companies, according to the EPA.

“I am honored to rejoin the Department of Justice to lead an excellent team of lawyers and other public servants in our shared mission to enhance public safety and the rule of law in Northern California,” Grant said in a news release announcing his appointment. “I look forward to working with that team and with our federal, state, local, and tribal partners in law enforcement and otherwise to accomplish that mission.”

California’s Eastern District, which stretches from Bakersfield to the Oregon border, had had three leaders since January. Phil Talbert, who served for 23 years, resigned that month in expectation of Trump appointing a new U.S. Attorney to the post. Kimberly Sanchez, a Fresno-based federal prosecutor, became the acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District last month, taking over the reins from Michele Beckwith, who was let go, according to previous Bee reporting.

Sanchez will become first assistant U.S. attorney in Sacramento, said Lauren Horwood, a spokesperson for the Eastern District.

Grant, a Republican, grew up in Modesto, attended UC Berkeley for undergraduate and law degrees and raised his family in Sacramento County. He also served as a law clerk to Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger and Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, according to a U.S. Attorney’s Office news release.

His career includes decades of private practice, which led him to argue in front of the U.S. Supreme Court and the California Supreme Court, according to the release. He successfully argued in the California Supreme Court the right for residents to retain the ability to lower utility rates, according to a news release from Hicks Thomas.

Grant will oversee about 143 staff members across offices in Sacramento, Fresno, Redding and Bakersfield. As the chief federal law enforcement officer, Grant is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes and representing the U.S. in civil cases.

Grant’s position requires Senate confirmation. Horwood said no date has been set for a hearing.

This story was originally published August 11, 2025 at 3:29 PM.