India, July 25 -- Roger Rogoff had been serving as the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington for just 54 minutes when the Trump administration removed him from the post. Instead of quietly stepping aside, he went to court, arguing that the dismissal broke federal law.

The lawsuit has opened a new legal fight over whether a president can remove a court-appointed U.S. attorney before a Senate-confirmed replacement takes office.

The case could shape how future administrations handle judicial appointments and is drawing attention because no known U.S. attorney has challenged such a removal in court before.

Roger Rogoff is a former prosecutor and judge with decades of legal experience. He spent about 20 years as a state prose...