Associate Professor of Law and Director, Program on Economics & Privacy, Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University
Associate Professor of Law James C. Cooper brings over a decade of public and private sector experience to his research and teaching. He served as Deputy and Acting Director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Office of Policy Planning, Advisor to Federal Trade Commissioner William Kovacic, and an associate in the antitrust group of Crowell and Moring, LLP. His research on vertical restraints, price discrimination, behavioral economics and antitrust, and privacy policy have appeared in top journals and are widely cited.
Professor Cooper has a BA from the University of South Carolina, received his PhD in economics from Emory University, and his law degree (magna cum laude) from Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University, where he was a Levy Fellow and a member of the George Mason Law Review.
He teaches Economics for Lawyers, Advanced Seminar on Law & Economics, and Digital Information Policy Seminar.
Nonresident Senior Fellow, Sowcroft Center for Strategy and Security
Michael served over 37 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, culminating his career as the Director of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, and the senior executive for AI in the Department of Defense. He previously served at the National Security Agency, overseeing global network operations and as the Director of Intelligence for the Chairman and the Joint Staff. In that position he worked closely with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Secretary of Defense and Senior Leaders across the Department. Groen is an experienced Marine commander and multi-tour combat veteran. He was the Intelligence Officer for the 1st Marine Division in Operation Iraqi Freedom for both OIF I and II. He is the author of With the First Marine Division in Iraq, No Greater Friend, No Worse Enemy. His awards include the Defense Distinguished Service Award, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star and the Combat Action Ribbon.
President, Rainey Center
Sarah E. Hunt is a globally focused leader in climate advocacy, technology, and democracy. Her expertise is regularly sought by national publications such as The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. As President of the Joseph Rainey Center for Public Policy, a think tank and leadership community in Washington D.C., Ms. Hunt leads her team to generate new solutions to some of our nation’s most critical challenges and then cultivates a new generation of leaders to actually implement them.
Prior to founding the Rainey Center, much of Hunt’s background centered in the areas of climate change and election law. She launched a clean energy program at the American Legislative Exchange Council and a climate change program at the Niskanen Center. Before that, she managed state issues and ethics for a political consulting firm and practiced political law at a boutique law firm in the Pacific Northwest.
She currently also serves as Director, Policy & Strategy at the Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Service at Arizona State University.
Ms. Hunt holds a BA in political science from the University of New Mexico, a JD from Willamette University College of Law, an LLM in international environmental law from Georgetown University Law Center, and an MPS in global advocacy from the George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management. She is admitted to the bar in Washington, DC, Oregon, and the 9th Circuit.
Senior Fellow, R Street Institute
Prior to R Street, Adam spent 12 years as a senior fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Before the Mercatus Center, he served as the president of the Progress and Freedom Foundation. Adam has also worked for the Adam Smith Institute, the Heritage Foundation and the Cato Institute.
Adam has published 10 books on a wide range of topics, including online child safety, internet governance, intellectual property, telecommunications policy, media regulation and federalism.
In 2008, Adam received the Family Online Safety Institute’s “Award for Outstanding Achievement.”
Senior Manager of Public Policy, Workday
Evangelos Razis is Senior Manager of Public Policy at Workday, where he leads U.S. artificial intelligence and data privacy policy. Since joining the company, Evangelos has grown Workday’s engagement on emerging AI laws and frameworks at the federal and state level, helping it become a leading proponent for workable safeguards on high-risk AI.
He regularly advises Workday’s responsible AI, privacy, and product legal teams on emerging legal and policy developments.
Before joining Workday, Evangelos led digital trade and global data policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the world’s largest business association. While at the Chamber, Evangelos spearheaded the U.S. business community’s engagement on the U.S.-EU Privacy Shield and advocated for open data governance frameworks in key U.S. export markets on six continents. He co-authored the Chamber’s AI policy principles, released in 2019. Previously, Evangelos worked as a trade and technology policy analyst at Fujitsu and as a fellow at the Information Technology Industry Council.
Evangelos holds a B.A. in Political Science from Fordham University, a M.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, and is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/E). He is pursuing a J.D. at George Mason University’s Scalia Law School.
Senior Fellow, Ave Maria School of Law and Host of the Four Boxes Diner Second Amendment Channel
Mark W. Smith is Visiting Fellow in Pharmaceutical Public Policy and Law in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Oxford; Presidential Scholar and a Senior Fellow in Law and Public Policy at The King’s College; and Distinguished Scholar and Senior Fellow of Law and Public Policy at the Ave Maria School of Law.
He is a constitutional attorney and Host of the Four Boxes Diner YouTube channel—which provides scholarly and historical analyses of the Second Amendment. Mark is also a New York Times bestselling author.
Senior Fellow, Ave Maria School of Law and Host of the Four Boxes Diner Second Amendment Channel
Mark W. Smith is Visiting Fellow in Pharmaceutical Public Policy and Law in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Oxford; Presidential Scholar and a Senior Fellow in Law and Public Policy at The King’s College; and Distinguished Scholar and Senior Fellow of Law and Public Policy at the Ave Maria School of Law.
He is a constitutional attorney and Host of the Four Boxes Diner YouTube channel—which provides scholarly and historical analyses of the Second Amendment. Mark is also a New York Times bestselling author.
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, The George Washington University Law School
Aram A. Gavoor is the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and an internationally recognized scholar in American administrative law, national security, and federal courts. His co-authored work was cited by the U.S. Supreme Court in Department of Commerce v. New York (2019). His scholarship has earned placement in the Florida Law Review, Indiana Law Journal, Ohio State Law Journal, and other law journals. He has briefed and argued over a dozen high-profile public law cases before a majority of the U.S. Courts of Appeals and numerous cases before almost a third of the 94 U.S. District Courts. Associate Dean Gavoor frequently shares his national security, artificial intelligence policy, and federal courts expertise with international news media, including CNN, BBC World News, Wall Street Journal, NBC News, and ABC (Australia) World News. In 2021, the National Law Journal named Associate Dean Gavoor a Rising Star (top 40 under 40) honoree.
Earlier in his career, Associate Dean Gavoor served as Senior Counsel for National Security in the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, as third-in-rank Counselor to the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in the White House Office of Management and Budget, and in private practice. He received the Attorney General's Award for Distinguished Service in 2019, the Civil Division Special Commendation Award in 2020, 2019, and 2018, and a Commendation from the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section of the Criminal Division in 2018.
Associate Dean Gavoor previously served on the law school’s part-time faculty from 2008-2017 before accepting a term-limited position as Visiting Associate Professor from 2017-2019. He received GW Law’s Distinguished Adjunct Faculty Teaching Award from the 2020 and 2017 graduating classes. He currently teaches Constitutional Law II, Administrative Law, National Security Law, and Federal Courts.
Vice President and Legal Director, MacArthur Justice Center
Johnathan Smith as the inaugural Vice President and Legal Director of the Roderick & Solange MacArthur Justice Center. Smith has extensive leadership experience in the legal advocacy sector and both federal and state government agencies. Most recently, he served as Deputy Assistant Attorney General and acting Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, where he helped oversee the Division’s investigatory, enforcement, and policy efforts. Smith previously served in the New York State government as the Governor’s deputy secretary for civil rights and workforce and as the interim commissioner for the New York State Division of Human Rights. He has also worked as the legal director at Muslim Advocates, a staff attorney at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and a litigation associate at Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP. Additionally, Smith served as a lecturer at the University of Michigan Law School. He received his JD from New York University School of Law, and his Masters in Education and Bachelors in Arts from Harvard University.
Senior Fellow, R Street Institute
Prior to R Street, Adam spent 12 years as a senior fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Before the Mercatus Center, he served as the president of the Progress and Freedom Foundation. Adam has also worked for the Adam Smith Institute, the Heritage Foundation and the Cato Institute.
Adam has published 10 books on a wide range of topics, including online child safety, internet governance, intellectual property, telecommunications policy, media regulation and federalism.
In 2008, Adam received the Family Online Safety Institute’s “Award for Outstanding Achievement.”
Deputy Secretary of Labor, U.S. Department of Labor
Keith E. Sonderling was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on March 12, 2025 to be the 38th United States Deputy Secretary of Labor.
As the United States Deputy Secretary of Labor, Sonderling is the second-highest-ranking official and serves as the Department's Chief Operating Officer, overseeing the agency’s $14 billion dollar budget and 16,000 employees. The Deputy Secretary oversees key operational functions such as: strategic planning; budget formulation; financial management; information technology; and human resource management. Additionally, the Deputy Secretary provides the leadership and management of DOL’s agencies necessary to support the Secretary and the Department’s mission.
Prior to becoming Deputy Secretary, he was previously confirmed by the United States Senate to serve as the Commissioner of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) from September 2020 until August 2024. He also served as the Commission’s Vice-Chair from 2020-2021.
During his tenure at the EEOC, one of Sonderling’s highest priorities was ensuring that artificial intelligence and workplace technologies are designed and deployed consistent with long-standing laws. He published numerous articles on the benefits and potential harms of using artificial intelligence-based technology in the workplace and spoke globally on artificial intelligence’s impact on the workplace.
Sonderling previously served at the US Department of Labor as the Acting and Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division from 2017-2020. During his tenure, the Division accomplished back-to-back record-breaking enforcement collections and educational outreach events. 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 instrumental 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, 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 was also active in the community, serving on the Board of Directors for Morse Life Health System, the Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce, and Leadership Florida.
Sonderling also serves as a Professional Lecturer in the Law (Adjunct Professor) at George Washington University Law School, teaching employment discrimination.
Sonderling received his B.S., magna cum laude, from the University of Florida and his J.D., magna cum laude, from Nova Southeastern University.
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, The George Washington University Law School
Aram A. Gavoor is the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and an internationally recognized scholar in American administrative law, national security, and federal courts. His co-authored work was cited by the U.S. Supreme Court in Department of Commerce v. New York (2019). His scholarship has earned placement in the Florida Law Review, Indiana Law Journal, Ohio State Law Journal, and other law journals. He has briefed and argued over a dozen high-profile public law cases before a majority of the U.S. Courts of Appeals and numerous cases before almost a third of the 94 U.S. District Courts. Associate Dean Gavoor frequently shares his national security, artificial intelligence policy, and federal courts expertise with international news media, including CNN, BBC World News, Wall Street Journal, NBC News, and ABC (Australia) World News. In 2021, the National Law Journal named Associate Dean Gavoor a Rising Star (top 40 under 40) honoree.
Earlier in his career, Associate Dean Gavoor served as Senior Counsel for National Security in the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, as third-in-rank Counselor to the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in the White House Office of Management and Budget, and in private practice. He received the Attorney General's Award for Distinguished Service in 2019, the Civil Division Special Commendation Award in 2020, 2019, and 2018, and a Commendation from the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section of the Criminal Division in 2018.
Associate Dean Gavoor previously served on the law school’s part-time faculty from 2008-2017 before accepting a term-limited position as Visiting Associate Professor from 2017-2019. He received GW Law’s Distinguished Adjunct Faculty Teaching Award from the 2020 and 2017 graduating classes. He currently teaches Constitutional Law II, Administrative Law, National Security Law, and Federal Courts.
Vice President and Legal Director, MacArthur Justice Center
Johnathan Smith as the inaugural Vice President and Legal Director of the Roderick & Solange MacArthur Justice Center. Smith has extensive leadership experience in the legal advocacy sector and both federal and state government agencies. Most recently, he served as Deputy Assistant Attorney General and acting Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, where he helped oversee the Division’s investigatory, enforcement, and policy efforts. Smith previously served in the New York State government as the Governor’s deputy secretary for civil rights and workforce and as the interim commissioner for the New York State Division of Human Rights. He has also worked as the legal director at Muslim Advocates, a staff attorney at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and a litigation associate at Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP. Additionally, Smith served as a lecturer at the University of Michigan Law School. He received his JD from New York University School of Law, and his Masters in Education and Bachelors in Arts from Harvard University.
Senior Fellow, R Street Institute
Prior to R Street, Adam spent 12 years as a senior fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Before the Mercatus Center, he served as the president of the Progress and Freedom Foundation. Adam has also worked for the Adam Smith Institute, the Heritage Foundation and the Cato Institute.
Adam has published 10 books on a wide range of topics, including online child safety, internet governance, intellectual property, telecommunications policy, media regulation and federalism.
In 2008, Adam received the Family Online Safety Institute’s “Award for Outstanding Achievement.”
Deputy Secretary of Labor, U.S. Department of Labor
Keith E. Sonderling was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on March 12, 2025 to be the 38th United States Deputy Secretary of Labor.
As the United States Deputy Secretary of Labor, Sonderling is the second-highest-ranking official and serves as the Department's Chief Operating Officer, overseeing the agency’s $14 billion dollar budget and 16,000 employees. The Deputy Secretary oversees key operational functions such as: strategic planning; budget formulation; financial management; information technology; and human resource management. Additionally, the Deputy Secretary provides the leadership and management of DOL’s agencies necessary to support the Secretary and the Department’s mission.
Prior to becoming Deputy Secretary, he was previously confirmed by the United States Senate to serve as the Commissioner of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) from September 2020 until August 2024. He also served as the Commission’s Vice-Chair from 2020-2021.
During his tenure at the EEOC, one of Sonderling’s highest priorities was ensuring that artificial intelligence and workplace technologies are designed and deployed consistent with long-standing laws. He published numerous articles on the benefits and potential harms of using artificial intelligence-based technology in the workplace and spoke globally on artificial intelligence’s impact on the workplace.
Sonderling previously served at the US Department of Labor as the Acting and Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division from 2017-2020. During his tenure, the Division accomplished back-to-back record-breaking enforcement collections and educational outreach events. 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 instrumental 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, 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 was also active in the community, serving on the Board of Directors for Morse Life Health System, the Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce, and Leadership Florida.
Sonderling also serves as a Professional Lecturer in the Law (Adjunct Professor) at George Washington University Law School, teaching employment discrimination.
Sonderling received his B.S., magna cum laude, from the University of Florida and his J.D., magna cum laude, from Nova Southeastern University.
Associate Professor of Law and Director, Program on Economics & Privacy, Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University
Associate Professor of Law James C. Cooper brings over a decade of public and private sector experience to his research and teaching. He served as Deputy and Acting Director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Office of Policy Planning, Advisor to Federal Trade Commissioner William Kovacic, and an associate in the antitrust group of Crowell and Moring, LLP. His research on vertical restraints, price discrimination, behavioral economics and antitrust, and privacy policy have appeared in top journals and are widely cited.
Professor Cooper has a BA from the University of South Carolina, received his PhD in economics from Emory University, and his law degree (magna cum laude) from Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University, where he was a Levy Fellow and a member of the George Mason Law Review.
He teaches Economics for Lawyers, Advanced Seminar on Law & Economics, and Digital Information Policy Seminar.
Nonresident Senior Fellow, Sowcroft Center for Strategy and Security
Michael served over 37 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, culminating his career as the Director of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, and the senior executive for AI in the Department of Defense. He previously served at the National Security Agency, overseeing global network operations and as the Director of Intelligence for the Chairman and the Joint Staff. In that position he worked closely with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Secretary of Defense and Senior Leaders across the Department. Groen is an experienced Marine commander and multi-tour combat veteran. He was the Intelligence Officer for the 1st Marine Division in Operation Iraqi Freedom for both OIF I and II. He is the author of With the First Marine Division in Iraq, No Greater Friend, No Worse Enemy. His awards include the Defense Distinguished Service Award, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star and the Combat Action Ribbon.
President, Rainey Center
Sarah E. Hunt is a globally focused leader in climate advocacy, technology, and democracy. Her expertise is regularly sought by national publications such as The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. As President of the Joseph Rainey Center for Public Policy, a think tank and leadership community in Washington D.C., Ms. Hunt leads her team to generate new solutions to some of our nation’s most critical challenges and then cultivates a new generation of leaders to actually implement them.
Prior to founding the Rainey Center, much of Hunt’s background centered in the areas of climate change and election law. She launched a clean energy program at the American Legislative Exchange Council and a climate change program at the Niskanen Center. Before that, she managed state issues and ethics for a political consulting firm and practiced political law at a boutique law firm in the Pacific Northwest.
She currently also serves as Director, Policy & Strategy at the Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Service at Arizona State University.
Ms. Hunt holds a BA in political science from the University of New Mexico, a JD from Willamette University College of Law, an LLM in international environmental law from Georgetown University Law Center, and an MPS in global advocacy from the George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management. She is admitted to the bar in Washington, DC, Oregon, and the 9th Circuit.
Senior Manager of Public Policy, Workday
Evangelos Razis is Senior Manager of Public Policy at Workday, where he leads U.S. artificial intelligence and data privacy policy. Since joining the company, Evangelos has grown Workday’s engagement on emerging AI laws and frameworks at the federal and state level, helping it become a leading proponent for workable safeguards on high-risk AI.
He regularly advises Workday’s responsible AI, privacy, and product legal teams on emerging legal and policy developments.
Before joining Workday, Evangelos led digital trade and global data policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the world’s largest business association. While at the Chamber, Evangelos spearheaded the U.S. business community’s engagement on the U.S.-EU Privacy Shield and advocated for open data governance frameworks in key U.S. export markets on six continents. He co-authored the Chamber’s AI policy principles, released in 2019. Previously, Evangelos worked as a trade and technology policy analyst at Fujitsu and as a fellow at the Information Technology Industry Council.
Evangelos holds a B.A. in Political Science from Fordham University, a M.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, and is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/E). He is pursuing a J.D. at George Mason University’s Scalia Law School.
Senior Fellow, R Street Institute
Prior to R Street, Adam spent 12 years as a senior fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Before the Mercatus Center, he served as the president of the Progress and Freedom Foundation. Adam has also worked for the Adam Smith Institute, the Heritage Foundation and the Cato Institute.
Adam has published 10 books on a wide range of topics, including online child safety, internet governance, intellectual property, telecommunications policy, media regulation and federalism.
In 2008, Adam received the Family Online Safety Institute’s “Award for Outstanding Achievement.”
Senior Fellow, Ave Maria School of Law and Host of the Four Boxes Diner Second Amendment Channel
Mark W. Smith is Visiting Fellow in Pharmaceutical Public Policy and Law in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Oxford; Presidential Scholar and a Senior Fellow in Law and Public Policy at The King’s College; and Distinguished Scholar and Senior Fellow of Law and Public Policy at the Ave Maria School of Law.
He is a constitutional attorney and Host of the Four Boxes Diner YouTube channel—which provides scholarly and historical analyses of the Second Amendment. Mark is also a New York Times bestselling author.
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, The George Washington University Law School
Aram A. Gavoor is the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and an internationally recognized scholar in American administrative law, national security, and federal courts. His co-authored work was cited by the U.S. Supreme Court in Department of Commerce v. New York (2019). His scholarship has earned placement in the Florida Law Review, Indiana Law Journal, Ohio State Law Journal, and other law journals. He has briefed and argued over a dozen high-profile public law cases before a majority of the U.S. Courts of Appeals and numerous cases before almost a third of the 94 U.S. District Courts. Associate Dean Gavoor frequently shares his national security, artificial intelligence policy, and federal courts expertise with international news media, including CNN, BBC World News, Wall Street Journal, NBC News, and ABC (Australia) World News. In 2021, the National Law Journal named Associate Dean Gavoor a Rising Star (top 40 under 40) honoree.
Earlier in his career, Associate Dean Gavoor served as Senior Counsel for National Security in the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, as third-in-rank Counselor to the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in the White House Office of Management and Budget, and in private practice. He received the Attorney General's Award for Distinguished Service in 2019, the Civil Division Special Commendation Award in 2020, 2019, and 2018, and a Commendation from the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section of the Criminal Division in 2018.
Associate Dean Gavoor previously served on the law school’s part-time faculty from 2008-2017 before accepting a term-limited position as Visiting Associate Professor from 2017-2019. He received GW Law’s Distinguished Adjunct Faculty Teaching Award from the 2020 and 2017 graduating classes. He currently teaches Constitutional Law II, Administrative Law, National Security Law, and Federal Courts.
Vice President and Legal Director, MacArthur Justice Center
Johnathan Smith as the inaugural Vice President and Legal Director of the Roderick & Solange MacArthur Justice Center. Smith has extensive leadership experience in the legal advocacy sector and both federal and state government agencies. Most recently, he served as Deputy Assistant Attorney General and acting Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, where he helped oversee the Division’s investigatory, enforcement, and policy efforts. Smith previously served in the New York State government as the Governor’s deputy secretary for civil rights and workforce and as the interim commissioner for the New York State Division of Human Rights. He has also worked as the legal director at Muslim Advocates, a staff attorney at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and a litigation associate at Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP. Additionally, Smith served as a lecturer at the University of Michigan Law School. He received his JD from New York University School of Law, and his Masters in Education and Bachelors in Arts from Harvard University.
Deputy Secretary of Labor, U.S. Department of Labor
Keith E. Sonderling was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on March 12, 2025 to be the 38th United States Deputy Secretary of Labor.
As the United States Deputy Secretary of Labor, Sonderling is the second-highest-ranking official and serves as the Department's Chief Operating Officer, overseeing the agency’s $14 billion dollar budget and 16,000 employees. The Deputy Secretary oversees key operational functions such as: strategic planning; budget formulation; financial management; information technology; and human resource management. Additionally, the Deputy Secretary provides the leadership and management of DOL’s agencies necessary to support the Secretary and the Department’s mission.
Prior to becoming Deputy Secretary, he was previously confirmed by the United States Senate to serve as the Commissioner of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) from September 2020 until August 2024. He also served as the Commission’s Vice-Chair from 2020-2021.
During his tenure at the EEOC, one of Sonderling’s highest priorities was ensuring that artificial intelligence and workplace technologies are designed and deployed consistent with long-standing laws. He published numerous articles on the benefits and potential harms of using artificial intelligence-based technology in the workplace and spoke globally on artificial intelligence’s impact on the workplace.
Sonderling previously served at the US Department of Labor as the Acting and Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division from 2017-2020. During his tenure, the Division accomplished back-to-back record-breaking enforcement collections and educational outreach events. 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 instrumental 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, 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 was also active in the community, serving on the Board of Directors for Morse Life Health System, the Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce, and Leadership Florida.
Sonderling also serves as a Professional Lecturer in the Law (Adjunct Professor) at George Washington University Law School, teaching employment discrimination.
Sonderling received his B.S., magna cum laude, from the University of Florida and his J.D., magna cum laude, from Nova Southeastern University.
Senior Fellow, R Street Institute
Prior to R Street, Adam spent 12 years as a senior fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Before the Mercatus Center, he served as the president of the Progress and Freedom Foundation. Adam has also worked for the Adam Smith Institute, the Heritage Foundation and the Cato Institute.
Adam has published 10 books on a wide range of topics, including online child safety, internet governance, intellectual property, telecommunications policy, media regulation and federalism.
In 2008, Adam received the Family Online Safety Institute’s “Award for Outstanding Achievement.”
Panel IV: Is the Hour Getting Late? Will Federalism Guide AI and Meet the Demands of Global Opportunities and Threats?
James C. Cooper, Michael Groen, Sarah E. Hunt, Adam Thierer, Evangelos Razis
This panel will discuss James Cooper and Evangelos Razis’s piece, “The Federalist’s Dilemma: State AI Regulation...
Panel IV: Is the Hour Getting Late? Will Federalism Guide AI and Meet the Demands of Global Opportunities and Threats?
The Future of Law in an AI World
Washington, DCThe Future of Law in an AI World
Washington, DCThe Power and the Money: The Epic Clashes Between Commanders in Chief and Titans of Industry
Portland Lawyers Chapter
Portland, ORCourthouse Steps Decision: United States v. Rahimi
Mark W. Smith
United States v. Rahimi raised the question of whether 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(8), which prohibits...
Courthouse Steps Decision: United States v. Rahimi
Mark W. Smith
United States v. Rahimi raised the question of whether 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(8), which prohibits...
Courthouse Steps Decision: United States v. Rahimi
AI Policy Roundup
Aram A. Gavoor, Johnathan Smith, Adam Thierer, Keith E. Sonderling
On October 30, 2023, President Biden signed the most far-reaching presidential action in AI, Executive...
AI Policy Roundup
Aram A. Gavoor, Johnathan Smith, Adam Thierer, Keith E. Sonderling
On October 30, 2023, President Biden signed the most far-reaching presidential action in AI, Executive...
AI Policy Roundup