Keith E. Sonderling

Hon. Keith E. Sonderling

Commissioner, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Keith E. Sonderling was confirmed by the U.S. Senate, with a bipartisan vote, to be a Commissioner on the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in 2020. Until January of 2021, he served as the Commission’s Vice-Chair. His term expires July of 2024.

Prior to his confirmation to the EEOC, Commissioner Sonderling served as the Acting and Deputy Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division at the U.S. Department of Labor. Before joining the Department of Labor in 2017, Commissioner Sonderling practiced Labor and Employment law in Florida. Commissioner Sonderling also serves as a Professional Lecturer in the Law at The George Washington University Law School, teaching employment discrimination.

Since joining the EEOC, one of Commissioner Sonderling’s has focused on ensuring that artificial intelligence and workplace technologies are designed and deployed consistent with long-standing civil rights laws. Commissioner Sonderling has published numerous articles on the benefits and potential harms of using artificial intelligence-based technology in the workplace and speaks globally on these emerging issues.

Immediately before his confirmation to the EEOC, as Deputy and Acting Administrator of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, Sonderling oversaw enforcement, outreach, regulatory work, strategic planning, performance management, communications, and stakeholder engagement.  The Division accomplished back-to-back record-breaking enforcement collections and educational outreach events during his tenure.  The Wage and Hour Division administers and enforces federal labor laws, including the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and the labor provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Commissioner Sonderling also oversaw the development and publication of large-scale deregulatory rules and authored numerous Opinion Letters, Field Assistance Bulletins, and All Agency Memorandums. Additionally, he was involved in developing the Division’s first comprehensive self-audit program, which collected more than $7 million for nearly eleven thousand workers.

Before his government service, Commissioner Sonderling was a partner at one of Florida’s oldest and largest law firms, Gunster.  At Gunster, he counseled employers and litigated labor and employment disputes.  In 2012, then-Governor Rick Scott appointed Sonderling to serve as the Chair of the Judicial Nominating Committee for appellate courts in South Florida.

Sonderling received his B.S., magna cum laude, from the University of Florida and his J.D., magna cum laude, from Nova Southeastern University.

*****

A person listed as a contributor has spoken or otherwise participated in Federalist Society events, publications, or multimedia presentations. A person's appearance on this list does not imply any other endorsement or relationship between the person and the Federalist Society. In most cases, the biographical information on a person's "contributor" page is provided directly by the person, and the Federalist Society does not edit or otherwise endorse that information. The Federalist Society takes no position on particular legal or public policy issues. All expressions of opinion by a contributor are those of the contributor.

Deep Dive Episode 259 - AI & Antidiscrimination: AI Entering the Arena of Labor & Employment Law [Panel Discussion]

Deep Dive Episode 259 - AI & Antidiscrimination: AI Entering the Arena of Labor & Employment Law [Panel Discussion]

Regulatory Transparency Project's Fourth Branch Podcast

Artificial Intelligence (AI), once the stuff of science fiction, is now more than ever a...