John Gore, a onetime acting leader of the U.S. Department of Justice's civil rights division who spearheaded the failed effort to add a question about citizenship to the 2020 census, is returning to Jones Day.

Gore rejoined Jones Day as a partner in its government regulation practice Wednesday after stepping down from the government in August. He most recently served as principal deputy assistant attorney general in the DOJ's civil rights division, after earlier serving as acting assistant AG and deputy assistant AG.

Gore previously was a partner in Jones Day's issues and appeals practice. At the firm, he is reuniting with a number of high-profile veterans of the Trump administration, most notably government regulation practice co-leader and former White House counsel Don McGahn.

"John's breadth of experience at the Department of Justice and his dealings with the highest levels of government enhance an already deep bench of lawyers with extensive understanding of how government agencies operate," McGahn said in a statement. "His in-depth knowledge is valuable to clients navigating complicated legal and regulatory issues. I welcome him back to Jones Day."

Gore's most prominent work at the Justice Department involved the initiative to place a question about citizenship on the 2020 census, including penning the DOJ's letter to the Commerce Department formally requesting that the question be added to the census. The effort was ultimately rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Testifying in a deposition in 2018, Gore acknowledged the data gleaned from the change might not even be more useful than what the agency currently uses to enforce the Voting Rights Act.

At DOJ, Gore also prosecuted civil rights cases pertaining to employment and housing discrimination, human trafficking, voting rights, religious freedom and the Americans with Disabilities Act, while also overseeing the prosecution of several high-profile hate crimes.

"John has addressed government-related matters from both the outside and the inside, which makes him an important resource for clients and a key part of our team," Kevyn Orr, partner-in-charge of Jones Day's Washington office, said in a statement. "His substantial experience, from wide-ranging appellate court arguments to high-profile antitrust cases in the healthcare industry and other practice areas, helps us provide even better service to clients. It is great having him back with us."

At Jones Day, Gore will be working alongside his former DOJ colleague Brett Shumate, who served as deputy assistant attorney general for the federal programs branch of the civil division. Shumate was also involved in defending the citizenship question in court.

Other Trump administration names now ensconced in Jones Day's government regulation practice include Schuyler Schouten, previously senior associate counsel to the president and deputy legal adviser to the National Security Council, and Robert Luther III, who joined after serving as associate counsel to the president.

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