Former prosecutor Preet Bharara to take new job at NYU Law

Preet Bharara, the former federal prosecutor dubbed the “Sheriff of Wall Street” who was recently ousted after the Trump administration, is heading into academia.

Mr Bharara will join New York University Law as a distinguished scholar in residence starting April 1, the school announced on Tuesday.

He was fired by Mr Trump after refusing to submit his resignation as requested of all remaining US attorneys appointed by Barack Obama earlier this month. It was a surprise, given that Mr Bharara had said he had been asked to stay on shortly after Mr Trump’s election in November.

Given his reputation for taking a tough stance on Wall Street corruption and white collar crime, Mr Bharara’s next move had been the subject of much speculation.

He said in a statement:

I am honoured to join the NYU School of Law, one of the great educational institutions in America, and I welcome the chance to contribute in such a thoughtful setting. I am thrilled for this opportunity to continue addressing the issues I so deeply care about — criminal and social justice, honest government, national security, civil rights and corporate accountability, to name a few.