Story highlights Eric Dreiband has been a labor attorney for Washington law firms Akin Gump and Jones Day

He was grilled by the Senate judiciary committee over his previous cases

(CNN) Eric Dreiband's record has been picked apart by civil rights groups, but the man nominated to lead the Justice Department's civil rights division stuck to a singular message during his confirmation hearing: "What I will do is enforce the laws within the jurisdiction of the civil rights division, whether anybody likes it or not."

Dreiband repeatedly batted away questions about whether he would bow to political pressure if confirmed, and explained that his work representing corporate clients as a private attorney was not indicative of how he would function as a top government lawyer.

"The role of an attorney in private practice is a very different role than an attorney who is representing the United States," Dreiband told senators on the judiciary committee Wednesday.

Dreiband is nominated to be Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.

Civil rights groups are concerned about Dreiband's work since 2005 as a labor attorney for prominent Washington law firms Akin Gump and Jones Day, where he is currently a partner. Dreiband has defended companies like R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in an age discrimination case, Bloomberg in a pregnancy discrimination lawsuit and CVS Pharmacy in an employee severance agreement lawsuit brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Read More