Associate Dean for Research and Intellectual Life, McKnight Presidential Professor in Law, Distinguished McKnight University Professor, Harlan Albert Rogers Professor in Law, Associate Director, Corporate Institute, University of Minnesota Law School
Professor Kristin E. Hickman is the McKnight Presidential Professor in Law, a Distinguished McKnight University Professor, and Harlan Albert Rogers Professor in Law at the University of Minnesota Law School. She also has taught at Harvard Law School and Northwestern University School of Law. Professor Hickman teaches and writes primarily in the areas of administrative law, tax administration, and statutory interpretation. Her articles on these topics have appeared in the Columbia Law Review, Cornell Law Review, Virginia Law Review, Duke Law Journal, and other publications. She also co-authors the Administrative Law Treatise with Richard J. Pierce, Jr., and a casebook on federal administrative law with Pierce and Christopher J. Walker. Her scholarly work has been cited several times in opinions of the United States Supreme Court as well as regularly in lower court judicial opinions and court briefs.
In 2018-19, Professor Hickman served as Special Adviser to the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in Washington, D.C. She presently serves as a Senior Fellow, and previously served as a public member and chair of the judicial review committee, for the Administrative Conference of the United States. She also is a Fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel.
Professor Hickman received her B.S. degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting and a secondary major in history from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. After practicing for several years as a certified public accountant, Professor Hickman earned her J.D. degree, magna cum laude, from Northwestern University School of Law, where she was awarded the Raoul Berger Prize and the Lowden Wigmore Prize for her scholarly writings. Following law school, Professor Hickman clerked for The Honorable David B. Sentelle of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and practiced law as an associate with the Chicago office of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, concentrating on corporate and international tax transactions and matters.
Associate, Covington & Burling LLP
Eli Nachmany is an associate at Covington & Burling LLP in the Washington, DC, office. He clerked for Judge Steven J. Menashi of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Eli graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School, where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy. Prior to law school, Eli served as the speechwriter to the U.S. Secretary of the Interior and as a domestic policy aide in the White House Office of American Innovation. He graduated summa cum laude from New York University with a B.S. in Sports Management. Eli’s scholarship on administrative law and executive power has appeared in the BYU Law Review, George Mason Law Review, Wake Forest Law Review, and Yale Law Journal Forum.
Affiliated Scholar, George Washington University Regulatory Studies Center
Roger Nober is a Professor of Practice at the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration. Nober served as director of the GW Regulatory Studies Center from 2024 to 2025. His career includes service as Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer at BNSF Railway, Chairman of the U.S. Surface Transportation Board and Chief Counsel of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Nober retired from BNSF Railway Co. in December 2022, after 16 years as an Executive Vice President responsible for overseeing legal and regulatory matters, environmental claims, compliance, communications as well as state government and community affairs. He also served on the Board of BNSF Railway LLC. Prior to joining BNSF, Nober was a partner in the Washington office of Steptoe & Johnson LLP.
From 2002 to 2006, Nober was Chairman of the U.S. Surface Transportation Board. From 2001 to 2002, he served as Counselor to the Deputy Secretary at the U.S. Department of Transportation. From 1993 to 2001, he served in a variety of roles for the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the U.S. House of Representatives, including serving as chief counsel from 1996 to 2001. He has a bachelor’s degree from Haverford College and a Juris Doctor from Harvard University School of Law.
He currently is an advisory board member at the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University, a member of the Business Advisory Council at Northwestern University Transportation Center, a member of the Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission, and a past and current board member of a number of nonprofit organizations.
Of Counsel, Covington & Burling LLP
The Honorable Paul J. Ray is currently Of Counsel at Covington & Burling LLP where he advises clients on regulatory opportunities and challenges and helps them formulate and execute advocacy strategies for their regulatory policy priorities before the executive branch and Congress.
During the first Trump Administration, Paul held various senior positions at the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) within the White House’s Office of Management and Budget, including as acting, and then Senate-confirmed, head of the office. As OIRA Administrator (the "regulations czar"), Paul supervised the review of hundreds of regulations from across the government, drafted numerous executive orders governing the regulatory process, and led the Administration’s regulatory reform effort. As a result of this experience, Paul is well-positioned to help clients understand and achieve regulatory policy priorities in the context of the government’s regulatory agenda and ongoing reform efforts.
Most recently, Paul was also the Director of the Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies at The Heritage Foundation. In that role, he supervised the formulation of the Foundation’s economic and regulatory policy recommendations and provided technical assistance to congressional committees and staff regarding legislative changes to the regulatory process. In addition to his role at The Heritage Foundation, Paul also served as a Senior Advisor at a strategic advisory firm. Before his time in government, Paul practiced law at a law firm in Washington, specializing in administrative law matters.
Prior to his role at the White House, Paul was Counselor to the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Labor. There he led departmental efforts in high-profile rulemakings and helped formulate the Department’s legal positions and strategy.
Paul served as a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito and as a law clerk to the Honorable Debra Livingston of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Paul is a thought leader in the conservative legal movement and is a frequent commentator and speaker on regulatory policy and reform matters, including at law schools, professional gatherings, and other venues. He is the Chairman of Innovations in Peacebuilding International and the Regulatory Process Working Group of the Federalist Society’s Regulatory Transparency Project and a public member of the Administrative Conference of the United States. Paul is also an adjunct lecturer at the Hillsdale College School of Government.
Partner, HWG
Austin helps clients navigate the toughest challenges in technology and telecommunications law. As a regulatory strategist, she guides organizations and businesses through an evolving regulatory landscape by engaging policymakers and building coalitions. She has advised clients on regulatory actions at the FCC and other federal agencies, with a focus on internet regulation, spectrum issues, accessibility, and broadband. As a trusted advisor, Austin partners with product and engineering teams to confidently manage legal risks at the early stages of design — even when their technologies have outpaced the law. As an appellate advocate, shehas a proven track record of translating complex technical issues for judges.
Before returning to private practice, Austin held senior roles at the White House and the FCC. As Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and Deputy U.S. Chief Technology Officer for Policy, she spearheaded a wide range of White House initiatives on technology, telecommunications, and artificial intelligence – including the National Spectrum Strategy, communications security and reliability, national security issues, and competition. She also served as the inaugural Vice Chair of the Chief AI Officers Council and the Deputy Director of the National AI Initiative Office, aligning AI efforts across the federal government and facilitating transformative AI applications within federal agencies. At the FCC, Austin advised Commissioner Geoffrey Starks on wireline, public safety, and national security issues and served as his Acting Chief of Staff.
Chief of Staff, Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Mr. Delacourt is Chief of Staff of the Federal Communications Commission. In this role, he manages the Chairman's policy agenda and strategic initiatives and serves as Chief Operating Officer for the Agency. He has a broad range of experience in telecommunications and technology law and policy spanning both the governmental and private sectors. Scott joined the FCC from Wiley Rein LLP where he served as Partner and Chair of the Wireless Practice Group. He previously served in leadership positions at the FCC, including Deputy Bureau Chief and Chief of Staff of the Wireless Bureau, Senior Counsel in the Office of General Counsel, and Legal Advisor to the Wireless Bureau Chief. Scott received his Law Degree, cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School, and his Bachelor’s Degree, summa cum laude, from Georgetown University.
Chief of Staff, National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)
Brooke Donilon is Chief of Staff for the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).
Prior to NTIA, Donilon was Vice President of Government Relations for NCTA – The Internet & Television Association. She also served as Chief of Staff to Commissioner Michael O’Rielly at the Federal Communications Commission, Deputy Chief of Staff to Senator Ron Johnson, and Chief Counsel for the Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs.
Donilon holds a J.D. from American University Washington College of Law and a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication and American Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Legislative Counsel, Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP
Slate joins WBK from his role as Counsel for the House Energy and Commerce Committee, where he represented the interests of Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers on the Communications and Technology Subcommittee.
During his tenure on the committee, he had primary responsibility over wireline and satellite communication policy and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Slate played a role in drafting and revising legislation touching on a myriad of communications matters, including NTIA reauthorization, social media facing national security issues, cybersecurity, and satellite licensing. He also managed hearings discussing rural broadband deployment, administrative oversight of the NTIA, and the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. Slate has also assisted in bipartisan, bicameral efforts to reform the FCC’s Universal Service Fund Program.
Prior to taking a position on Capitol Hill, Slate worked as an attorney advisor in NTIA’s Office of the Chief Counsel. In this position, he provided guidance on NTIA’s various grant programs, including the Connecting Minority Communities Program, the Broadband Infrastructure Program, the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, the Digital Equity Programs, and the BEAD Program. He also assisted in grant-related guidance surrounding the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s Build America, Buy America requirements.
Affiliated Scholar, George Washington University Regulatory Studies Center
Roger Nober is a Professor of Practice at the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration. Nober served as director of the GW Regulatory Studies Center from 2024 to 2025. His career includes service as Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer at BNSF Railway, Chairman of the U.S. Surface Transportation Board and Chief Counsel of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Nober retired from BNSF Railway Co. in December 2022, after 16 years as an Executive Vice President responsible for overseeing legal and regulatory matters, environmental claims, compliance, communications as well as state government and community affairs. He also served on the Board of BNSF Railway LLC. Prior to joining BNSF, Nober was a partner in the Washington office of Steptoe & Johnson LLP.
From 2002 to 2006, Nober was Chairman of the U.S. Surface Transportation Board. From 2001 to 2002, he served as Counselor to the Deputy Secretary at the U.S. Department of Transportation. From 1993 to 2001, he served in a variety of roles for the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the U.S. House of Representatives, including serving as chief counsel from 1996 to 2001. He has a bachelor’s degree from Haverford College and a Juris Doctor from Harvard University School of Law.
He currently is an advisory board member at the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University, a member of the Business Advisory Council at Northwestern University Transportation Center, a member of the Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission, and a past and current board member of a number of nonprofit organizations.
Associate Dean for Research and Intellectual Life, McKnight Presidential Professor in Law, Distinguished McKnight University Professor, Harlan Albert Rogers Professor in Law, Associate Director, Corporate Institute, University of Minnesota Law School
Professor Kristin E. Hickman is the McKnight Presidential Professor in Law, a Distinguished McKnight University Professor, and Harlan Albert Rogers Professor in Law at the University of Minnesota Law School. She also has taught at Harvard Law School and Northwestern University School of Law. Professor Hickman teaches and writes primarily in the areas of administrative law, tax administration, and statutory interpretation. Her articles on these topics have appeared in the Columbia Law Review, Cornell Law Review, Virginia Law Review, Duke Law Journal, and other publications. She also co-authors the Administrative Law Treatise with Richard J. Pierce, Jr., and a casebook on federal administrative law with Pierce and Christopher J. Walker. Her scholarly work has been cited several times in opinions of the United States Supreme Court as well as regularly in lower court judicial opinions and court briefs.
In 2018-19, Professor Hickman served as Special Adviser to the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in Washington, D.C. She presently serves as a Senior Fellow, and previously served as a public member and chair of the judicial review committee, for the Administrative Conference of the United States. She also is a Fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel.
Professor Hickman received her B.S. degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting and a secondary major in history from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. After practicing for several years as a certified public accountant, Professor Hickman earned her J.D. degree, magna cum laude, from Northwestern University School of Law, where she was awarded the Raoul Berger Prize and the Lowden Wigmore Prize for her scholarly writings. Following law school, Professor Hickman clerked for The Honorable David B. Sentelle of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and practiced law as an associate with the Chicago office of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, concentrating on corporate and international tax transactions and matters.
Associate, Covington & Burling LLP
Eli Nachmany is an associate at Covington & Burling LLP in the Washington, DC, office. He clerked for Judge Steven J. Menashi of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Eli graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School, where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy. Prior to law school, Eli served as the speechwriter to the U.S. Secretary of the Interior and as a domestic policy aide in the White House Office of American Innovation. He graduated summa cum laude from New York University with a B.S. in Sports Management. Eli’s scholarship on administrative law and executive power has appeared in the BYU Law Review, George Mason Law Review, Wake Forest Law Review, and Yale Law Journal Forum.
Affiliated Scholar, George Washington University Regulatory Studies Center
Roger Nober is a Professor of Practice at the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration. Nober served as director of the GW Regulatory Studies Center from 2024 to 2025. His career includes service as Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer at BNSF Railway, Chairman of the U.S. Surface Transportation Board and Chief Counsel of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Nober retired from BNSF Railway Co. in December 2022, after 16 years as an Executive Vice President responsible for overseeing legal and regulatory matters, environmental claims, compliance, communications as well as state government and community affairs. He also served on the Board of BNSF Railway LLC. Prior to joining BNSF, Nober was a partner in the Washington office of Steptoe & Johnson LLP.
From 2002 to 2006, Nober was Chairman of the U.S. Surface Transportation Board. From 2001 to 2002, he served as Counselor to the Deputy Secretary at the U.S. Department of Transportation. From 1993 to 2001, he served in a variety of roles for the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the U.S. House of Representatives, including serving as chief counsel from 1996 to 2001. He has a bachelor’s degree from Haverford College and a Juris Doctor from Harvard University School of Law.
He currently is an advisory board member at the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University, a member of the Business Advisory Council at Northwestern University Transportation Center, a member of the Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission, and a past and current board member of a number of nonprofit organizations.
Of Counsel, Covington & Burling LLP
The Honorable Paul J. Ray is currently Of Counsel at Covington & Burling LLP where he advises clients on regulatory opportunities and challenges and helps them formulate and execute advocacy strategies for their regulatory policy priorities before the executive branch and Congress.
During the first Trump Administration, Paul held various senior positions at the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) within the White House’s Office of Management and Budget, including as acting, and then Senate-confirmed, head of the office. As OIRA Administrator (the "regulations czar"), Paul supervised the review of hundreds of regulations from across the government, drafted numerous executive orders governing the regulatory process, and led the Administration’s regulatory reform effort. As a result of this experience, Paul is well-positioned to help clients understand and achieve regulatory policy priorities in the context of the government’s regulatory agenda and ongoing reform efforts.
Most recently, Paul was also the Director of the Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies at The Heritage Foundation. In that role, he supervised the formulation of the Foundation’s economic and regulatory policy recommendations and provided technical assistance to congressional committees and staff regarding legislative changes to the regulatory process. In addition to his role at The Heritage Foundation, Paul also served as a Senior Advisor at a strategic advisory firm. Before his time in government, Paul practiced law at a law firm in Washington, specializing in administrative law matters.
Prior to his role at the White House, Paul was Counselor to the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Labor. There he led departmental efforts in high-profile rulemakings and helped formulate the Department’s legal positions and strategy.
Paul served as a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito and as a law clerk to the Honorable Debra Livingston of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Paul is a thought leader in the conservative legal movement and is a frequent commentator and speaker on regulatory policy and reform matters, including at law schools, professional gatherings, and other venues. He is the Chairman of Innovations in Peacebuilding International and the Regulatory Process Working Group of the Federalist Society’s Regulatory Transparency Project and a public member of the Administrative Conference of the United States. Paul is also an adjunct lecturer at the Hillsdale College School of Government.
Partner, HWG
Austin helps clients navigate the toughest challenges in technology and telecommunications law. As a regulatory strategist, she guides organizations and businesses through an evolving regulatory landscape by engaging policymakers and building coalitions. She has advised clients on regulatory actions at the FCC and other federal agencies, with a focus on internet regulation, spectrum issues, accessibility, and broadband. As a trusted advisor, Austin partners with product and engineering teams to confidently manage legal risks at the early stages of design — even when their technologies have outpaced the law. As an appellate advocate, shehas a proven track record of translating complex technical issues for judges.
Before returning to private practice, Austin held senior roles at the White House and the FCC. As Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and Deputy U.S. Chief Technology Officer for Policy, she spearheaded a wide range of White House initiatives on technology, telecommunications, and artificial intelligence – including the National Spectrum Strategy, communications security and reliability, national security issues, and competition. She also served as the inaugural Vice Chair of the Chief AI Officers Council and the Deputy Director of the National AI Initiative Office, aligning AI efforts across the federal government and facilitating transformative AI applications within federal agencies. At the FCC, Austin advised Commissioner Geoffrey Starks on wireline, public safety, and national security issues and served as his Acting Chief of Staff.
Chief of Staff, Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Mr. Delacourt is Chief of Staff of the Federal Communications Commission. In this role, he manages the Chairman's policy agenda and strategic initiatives and serves as Chief Operating Officer for the Agency. He has a broad range of experience in telecommunications and technology law and policy spanning both the governmental and private sectors. Scott joined the FCC from Wiley Rein LLP where he served as Partner and Chair of the Wireless Practice Group. He previously served in leadership positions at the FCC, including Deputy Bureau Chief and Chief of Staff of the Wireless Bureau, Senior Counsel in the Office of General Counsel, and Legal Advisor to the Wireless Bureau Chief. Scott received his Law Degree, cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School, and his Bachelor’s Degree, summa cum laude, from Georgetown University.
Chief of Staff, National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)
Brooke Donilon is Chief of Staff for the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).
Prior to NTIA, Donilon was Vice President of Government Relations for NCTA – The Internet & Television Association. She also served as Chief of Staff to Commissioner Michael O’Rielly at the Federal Communications Commission, Deputy Chief of Staff to Senator Ron Johnson, and Chief Counsel for the Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs.
Donilon holds a J.D. from American University Washington College of Law and a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication and American Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Legislative Counsel, Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP
Slate joins WBK from his role as Counsel for the House Energy and Commerce Committee, where he represented the interests of Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers on the Communications and Technology Subcommittee.
During his tenure on the committee, he had primary responsibility over wireline and satellite communication policy and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Slate played a role in drafting and revising legislation touching on a myriad of communications matters, including NTIA reauthorization, social media facing national security issues, cybersecurity, and satellite licensing. He also managed hearings discussing rural broadband deployment, administrative oversight of the NTIA, and the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. Slate has also assisted in bipartisan, bicameral efforts to reform the FCC’s Universal Service Fund Program.
Prior to taking a position on Capitol Hill, Slate worked as an attorney advisor in NTIA’s Office of the Chief Counsel. In this position, he provided guidance on NTIA’s various grant programs, including the Connecting Minority Communities Program, the Broadband Infrastructure Program, the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, the Digital Equity Programs, and the BEAD Program. He also assisted in grant-related guidance surrounding the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s Build America, Buy America requirements.
Affiliated Scholar, George Washington University Regulatory Studies Center
Roger Nober is a Professor of Practice at the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration. Nober served as director of the GW Regulatory Studies Center from 2024 to 2025. His career includes service as Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer at BNSF Railway, Chairman of the U.S. Surface Transportation Board and Chief Counsel of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Nober retired from BNSF Railway Co. in December 2022, after 16 years as an Executive Vice President responsible for overseeing legal and regulatory matters, environmental claims, compliance, communications as well as state government and community affairs. He also served on the Board of BNSF Railway LLC. Prior to joining BNSF, Nober was a partner in the Washington office of Steptoe & Johnson LLP.
From 2002 to 2006, Nober was Chairman of the U.S. Surface Transportation Board. From 2001 to 2002, he served as Counselor to the Deputy Secretary at the U.S. Department of Transportation. From 1993 to 2001, he served in a variety of roles for the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the U.S. House of Representatives, including serving as chief counsel from 1996 to 2001. He has a bachelor’s degree from Haverford College and a Juris Doctor from Harvard University School of Law.
He currently is an advisory board member at the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University, a member of the Business Advisory Council at Northwestern University Transportation Center, a member of the Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission, and a past and current board member of a number of nonprofit organizations.
Independent Agencies and the OIRA Review Process
Kristin E. Hickman, Eli Nachmany, Roger Nober, Paul J. Ray
The question of agency independence is front and center in modern political and legal discourse—the...
Independent Agencies and the OIRA Review Process
DOGE Unleashed: Trump Executive Orders and Their Impact on Telecommunications Regulation
Austin Bonner, Scott D. Delacourt, Brooke Donilon, Slate Herman, Roger Nober
Join the Federalist Society for a discussion on the impact of President Trump's Executive Orders...
DOGE Unleashed: Trump Executive Orders and Their Impact on Telecommunications Regulation