Jeffrey Rosen, the Trump administration’s nominee for deputy U.S. attorney general, defended himself Wednesday against criticism that he lacked Justice Department experience and any background overseeing criminal cases, telling U.S. senators he would rely on guidance from seasoned federal prosecutors and draw from his past leadership role at a major law firm.

Saying he would not be the first deputy attorney general to be “confronted with that circumstance,” Rosen vowed to surround himself with some of the “thousands of seasoned and experienced and highly capable prosecutors” at the Justice Department.