How Far Trump Lawyer Lindsey Halligan Really Got In School

Young and possibly over-confident lawyer Lindsey Halligan had a rocky start to her new job. In September 2025, when President Donald Trump appointed Halligan as the interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Halligan set off to tackle some of his bucket list items — prosecuting both former FBI director James Comey and U.S. attorney general of New York, Letitia James. According to NBC News, Halligan absolutely fumbled the whole thing, with the judge ultimately dismissing the case and asserting that Halligan was improperly appointed. This raised the question of just how qualified the former model and pageant queen was for the job, including whether her schooling was sufficient for such responsibilities.

While Halligan joins the likes of Alina Habba as a horrible lawyer for Trump, her schooling pedigree is promising. Halligan attended Regis University in Denver, Colorado. It was there that she earned her Bachelor's in politics and broadcast journalism. From there, she attended the University of Miami School of Law in Florida, graduating in 2013 with her Juris Doctor. This allowed Halligan to work at Cole, Scott & Kissane, where she worked her way up to partner in 2018. However, as impressive as this schooling and career may sound, the type of law Halligan was practicing before joining Trump's administration was a far cry from what it seems the president expects of her.

While Lindsey Halligan's degrees afford her the luxury of practicing insurance law, which was her focus while at Cole, Scott & Kissane, it might not be enough to help her out with more complicated cases. With Halligan starting her tenure under President Donald Trump with scandal, it quickly felt as if she was underqualified. Not only did she improperly file the indictment against James Comey, which ultimately helped get the case dismissed, but it wasn't the first time Halligan made a major misstep. There was also the time Halligan got in trouble for texting about the case against Letitia James as well. 

With a background in handling property disputes, it's no surprise that Halligan would struggle with larger cases. Halligan's professional relationship with Trump started in 2022 when she joined his legal team. Putting her broadcasting degree to good use, Halligan made sure she appeared on Fox News as well as in court to defend Trump in the case involving his possession of classified documents.

Initially, Trump added Halligan to his ego-boosting cabinet and put her in charge of things more her speed, like reviewing Smithsonian Institution museums to make sure their priorities matched the president's sensibilities. While even that work is being considered a bridge too far, according to the Organization of American Historians, it hasn't stopped Halligan from batting above her weight class anyway.