Managing Partner, Boyden Gray PLLC
Michael Buschbacher is the managing partner of Boyden Gray PLLC. He represents public and private companies, trade associations, non-profits, and individuals in high-stakes litigation and administrative proceedings, with a particular focus on environmental and energy matters.
In addition to trial-level work, Mr. Buschbacher maintains an active appellate practice, both as merits counsel and as counsel for amici curiae. He has written amicus briefs quoted by the Seventh and Ninth Circuits. And his Supreme Court advocacy has been cited by The New Yorker, The New York Times, and E&E News. Mr. Buschbacher’s commentary on legal issues has been published in The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, and The American Conservative.
Before joining the firm, Mr. Buschbacher served at the U.S. Department of Justice as counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division. There, he advised senior Department leadership, served as the lead attorney on several lawsuits, and helped draft policy memoranda for the Department on the proper scope and procedure for environmental enforcement. Prior to serving in the government, Mr. Buschbacher was an associate in the D.C. office of Sidley Austin.
Mr. Buschbacher is a former clerk to Judge Alice M. Batchelder of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and to Magistrate Judge Paul R. Cherry of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana.
Mr. Buschbacher holds a B.A. in Music and Germanic Studies from Indiana University and a J.D., magna cum laude, from Notre Dame Law School.
Senior Manager, Clean Energy, World Resources Institute
Jennifer Chen, Senior Manager at World Resources Institute, helps shape electricity, transmission and governance policies with an eye toward modernizing grid infrastructure, scaling up clean energy and driving cost-effective electrification. She has written and presented on these topics, including testifying before the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
Previously, Jennifer led federal electricity policy work at the Nicholas Institute, a think tank for environmental policy solutions at Duke University. She was an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, where she spearheaded environmental NGO coalition efforts to advocate for an efficient and flexible power system. She also has experience working with electricity customer and renewable energy groups as an independent consultant and began her energy career at FERC.
Jennifer earned a J.D. from New York University and a Physics Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. She is a member of the California Bar and the District of Columbia Bar and is admitted to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. She is a Senior Fellow in electricity policy at R Street, a board member at New Energy Economics, and a member of the U.S. Department of Energy Electricity Advisory Committee.
Deputy Secretary of Energy
James P. Danly was sworn in as Deputy Secretary on June 9, 2025.
Before arriving at the Department, Deputy Secretary Danly was a partner and the Energy Regulatory Group leader at Skadden in Washington, D.C. This followed his service at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, first as the Commission’s general counsel then as the commissioner and chairman.
Deputy Secretary Danly was an officer in the United States Army. He served two tours in Iraq, receiving a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart.
A graduate of Yale University, Deputy Secretary Danly earned his J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School. He clerked for Judge Danny J. Boggs of the Sixth Circuit.
Partner, Steptoe & Johnson
Marc Spitzer served as a former commissioner on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) from July 2006 until December 2011. His practice involves counselling and representing utilities and energy companies before the FERC, at state utility commissions, Congress, federal agencies, and state legislatures. Marc's clients rely on his deep understanding of the energy sector and its policy and regulatory regimes, backed by years in appointed and elected government service. His experience enables him to advise clients through all stages of the energy supply chain from production, transmission, and distribution. Marc’s practice extends to power, gas, and oil proceedings before FERC and he has proven experience in all energy resources.
Counsel, Boyden Gray PLLC
Jim Wedeking is counsel at Boyden Gray PLLC. He has extensive experience with environmental regulations, providing compliance counseling for large industrial and agricultural companies and their related trade associations, drafting comments on proposed environmental rulemakings from a variety of federal agencies, and challenging those rules in court. For over 20 years he has helped companies obtain various permits and other authorizations for constructing major infrastructure projects, including fossil fuel-fired power plants, natural gas pipelines, and offshore wind turbines, as well as defend those permits and authorizations through litigation. Mr. Wedeking frequently writes on federal environmental law topics, including for the Washington Legal Foundation.
He has also counseled clients on several Freedom of Information Act matters, including the protection of confidential business information from disclosure to third parties and how the Supreme Court’s Food Marketing Institute v. Argus Leader Media decision increased protections for company information provided to regulatory agencies.
Before joining the firm, Mr. Wedeking was counsel in Sidley Austin’s Washington, D.C. environmental, health, and safety practice group. There, he represented industrial companies in defending against civil and criminal enforcement actions and toxic tort suits.
Mr. Wedeking received a J.D., cum laude, from the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law and a B.A. in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland.
Shareholder & Co-Chair of the Workplace Policy Institute, Littler Mendelson P.C.
Alexander T. MacDonald advises employers on all aspects of the employment and labor landscape, focusing on emerging legislation and regulation. He has extensive experience advising businesses on worker classification, arbitration, the administrative and regulatory process, and the future of work. He frequently writes, publishes, and speaks on these subjects. His work has been cited by scholars and appellate courts. He is a recognized voice for the management perspective.
Alexander is a co-chair of the Workplace Policy Institute (WPI) team. With WPI, he advises employers on legislative, administrative, and regulatory developments at the state and federal level. He advocates for employers in the regulatory and administrative process. He also helps employers protect their businesses by understanding and anticipating cutting-edge legal developments.
Alexander also has extensive experience in traditional labor law. He represents management in all aspects of labor-management relations, including unfair labor practice charges, grievance arbitrations, representation elections, contract negotiations, and related litigation, including litigation in the U.S. courts of appeals.
Before joining Littler, Alexander served as the director, future of work, for a major technology company. He also worked in a national labor and employment law firm and a major public-sector general counsel’s office. He was a law clerk to the senior judges in the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.
He is also a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. He served in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. In law school, he graduated first in his class
Clerk, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
Legal Counsel, Women's Liberation Front
Lauren Adams currently serves as the WoLF Legal Director. She has nearly a decade of legal experience with a focus in serving the needs of women. She recently led WoLF's efforts petitioning the Biden Administration to enforce Title IX, and is an expert source on civil rights law in the United States and its impact on the lives and opportunities of women and girls.
Founder, Chairman, and CEO, Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law
Hon. Kenneth L. Marcus is an internationally recognized expert in civil and human rights, as well as a leader in the fight against anti-Semitism on and off university campuses. He is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, the leading civil rights legal organization fighting against anti-Semitism. The New York Times has called him “The Man Who Helped Redefine Campus Anti-Semitism.” He been described, in that paper, as “the single most effective and respected force” to combat anti-Semitism.
During his public service career, Marcus served as Assistant U.S. Secretary of Education for Civil Rights; Staff Director at the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights; and General Deputy Assistant U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity.
In academia, he serves as Professorial Lecturer in Law at George Washington University. He formerly held the Lillie and Nathan Ackerman Chair in Equality and Justice in America at the City University of New York’s Bernard M. Baruch College, served as Visiting Research Professor of Political Science at Yeshiva University, and was a Board of Visitors member George Mason University and Distinguished Senior Fellow at that university’s law school. He is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Contemporary Antisemitism and previously served as Associate Editor of the Journal for the Study of Anti-Semitism.
Marcus is also author of The Definition of Anti-Semitism (Oxford University Press) and Jewish Identity and Civil Rights in America (Cambridge University Press). He has published widely in academic journals as well as in more popular venues such as The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Newsweek, USA Today, and Politico. He is a graduate of Williams College and the University of California at Berkeley School of Law.
Earlier in his career, he was a litigation partner in two major law firms, where he conducted complex commercial and constitutional litigation. He also serves as Chairman emeritus of the Executive Committee of the Federalist Society for Law & Public Policy Civil Rights Practice Group.
Legal Director, National Center for LGBTQ Rights
Managing Partner, Boyden Gray PLLC
Michael Buschbacher is the managing partner of Boyden Gray PLLC. He represents public and private companies, trade associations, non-profits, and individuals in high-stakes litigation and administrative proceedings, with a particular focus on environmental and energy matters.
In addition to trial-level work, Mr. Buschbacher maintains an active appellate practice, both as merits counsel and as counsel for amici curiae. He has written amicus briefs quoted by the Seventh and Ninth Circuits. And his Supreme Court advocacy has been cited by The New Yorker, The New York Times, and E&E News. Mr. Buschbacher’s commentary on legal issues has been published in The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, and The American Conservative.
Before joining the firm, Mr. Buschbacher served at the U.S. Department of Justice as counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division. There, he advised senior Department leadership, served as the lead attorney on several lawsuits, and helped draft policy memoranda for the Department on the proper scope and procedure for environmental enforcement. Prior to serving in the government, Mr. Buschbacher was an associate in the D.C. office of Sidley Austin.
Mr. Buschbacher is a former clerk to Judge Alice M. Batchelder of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and to Magistrate Judge Paul R. Cherry of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana.
Mr. Buschbacher holds a B.A. in Music and Germanic Studies from Indiana University and a J.D., magna cum laude, from Notre Dame Law School.
Senior Manager, Clean Energy, World Resources Institute
Jennifer Chen, Senior Manager at World Resources Institute, helps shape electricity, transmission and governance policies with an eye toward modernizing grid infrastructure, scaling up clean energy and driving cost-effective electrification. She has written and presented on these topics, including testifying before the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
Previously, Jennifer led federal electricity policy work at the Nicholas Institute, a think tank for environmental policy solutions at Duke University. She was an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, where she spearheaded environmental NGO coalition efforts to advocate for an efficient and flexible power system. She also has experience working with electricity customer and renewable energy groups as an independent consultant and began her energy career at FERC.
Jennifer earned a J.D. from New York University and a Physics Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. She is a member of the California Bar and the District of Columbia Bar and is admitted to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. She is a Senior Fellow in electricity policy at R Street, a board member at New Energy Economics, and a member of the U.S. Department of Energy Electricity Advisory Committee.
Deputy Secretary of Energy
James P. Danly was sworn in as Deputy Secretary on June 9, 2025.
Before arriving at the Department, Deputy Secretary Danly was a partner and the Energy Regulatory Group leader at Skadden in Washington, D.C. This followed his service at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, first as the Commission’s general counsel then as the commissioner and chairman.
Deputy Secretary Danly was an officer in the United States Army. He served two tours in Iraq, receiving a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart.
A graduate of Yale University, Deputy Secretary Danly earned his J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School. He clerked for Judge Danny J. Boggs of the Sixth Circuit.
Partner, Steptoe & Johnson
Marc Spitzer served as a former commissioner on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) from July 2006 until December 2011. His practice involves counselling and representing utilities and energy companies before the FERC, at state utility commissions, Congress, federal agencies, and state legislatures. Marc's clients rely on his deep understanding of the energy sector and its policy and regulatory regimes, backed by years in appointed and elected government service. His experience enables him to advise clients through all stages of the energy supply chain from production, transmission, and distribution. Marc’s practice extends to power, gas, and oil proceedings before FERC and he has proven experience in all energy resources.
Counsel, Boyden Gray PLLC
Jim Wedeking is counsel at Boyden Gray PLLC. He has extensive experience with environmental regulations, providing compliance counseling for large industrial and agricultural companies and their related trade associations, drafting comments on proposed environmental rulemakings from a variety of federal agencies, and challenging those rules in court. For over 20 years he has helped companies obtain various permits and other authorizations for constructing major infrastructure projects, including fossil fuel-fired power plants, natural gas pipelines, and offshore wind turbines, as well as defend those permits and authorizations through litigation. Mr. Wedeking frequently writes on federal environmental law topics, including for the Washington Legal Foundation.
He has also counseled clients on several Freedom of Information Act matters, including the protection of confidential business information from disclosure to third parties and how the Supreme Court’s Food Marketing Institute v. Argus Leader Media decision increased protections for company information provided to regulatory agencies.
Before joining the firm, Mr. Wedeking was counsel in Sidley Austin’s Washington, D.C. environmental, health, and safety practice group. There, he represented industrial companies in defending against civil and criminal enforcement actions and toxic tort suits.
Mr. Wedeking received a J.D., cum laude, from the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law and a B.A. in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland.
Legal Counsel, Women's Liberation Front
Lauren Adams currently serves as the WoLF Legal Director. She has nearly a decade of legal experience with a focus in serving the needs of women. She recently led WoLF's efforts petitioning the Biden Administration to enforce Title IX, and is an expert source on civil rights law in the United States and its impact on the lives and opportunities of women and girls.
Founder, Chairman, and CEO, Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law
Hon. Kenneth L. Marcus is an internationally recognized expert in civil and human rights, as well as a leader in the fight against anti-Semitism on and off university campuses. He is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, the leading civil rights legal organization fighting against anti-Semitism. The New York Times has called him “The Man Who Helped Redefine Campus Anti-Semitism.” He been described, in that paper, as “the single most effective and respected force” to combat anti-Semitism.
During his public service career, Marcus served as Assistant U.S. Secretary of Education for Civil Rights; Staff Director at the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights; and General Deputy Assistant U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity.
In academia, he serves as Professorial Lecturer in Law at George Washington University. He formerly held the Lillie and Nathan Ackerman Chair in Equality and Justice in America at the City University of New York’s Bernard M. Baruch College, served as Visiting Research Professor of Political Science at Yeshiva University, and was a Board of Visitors member George Mason University and Distinguished Senior Fellow at that university’s law school. He is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Contemporary Antisemitism and previously served as Associate Editor of the Journal for the Study of Anti-Semitism.
Marcus is also author of The Definition of Anti-Semitism (Oxford University Press) and Jewish Identity and Civil Rights in America (Cambridge University Press). He has published widely in academic journals as well as in more popular venues such as The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Newsweek, USA Today, and Politico. He is a graduate of Williams College and the University of California at Berkeley School of Law.
Earlier in his career, he was a litigation partner in two major law firms, where he conducted complex commercial and constitutional litigation. He also serves as Chairman emeritus of the Executive Committee of the Federalist Society for Law & Public Policy Civil Rights Practice Group.
Legal Director, National Center for LGBTQ Rights
A Global Energy Crisis and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission: A Discussion of Challenges and Opportunities
Michael Buschbacher, Jennifer Chen, James P. Danly, Marc L. Spitzer, Jim Wedeking
In the last few years, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has emerged from relative...
A Global Energy Crisis and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission: A Discussion of Challenges and Opportunities
Regulatory Transparency Project
Washington, DCTopics
Ninth Circuit to California School District: Stop Discriminating Against Religious Students
On Monday, August 29, the Ninth Circuit ruled in favor of the Fellowship of Christian...
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Department of Education Proposes Title IX Rule with Opportunity for Public Comment
In line with the Biden administration’s equity and gender identity policy priorities, the Department of...
Bargaining Rights Gone Wrong: How State Courts Invented a Constitutional Duty to Bargain and How It Harms Individual Workers
Alexander T. MacDonald
Constitutions often give you the right to do things. They give you the right to...
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The 2022 Joseph Story Award
The Federalist Society is delighted to announce that the winner of the 2022 Joseph Story...
An Academic Freedom Exception to Government Control of Employee Speech
Nick Cordova
Public employee speech cases often arise as Section 1983 actions in which a public employee...
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Religious Exemptions to Vaccination Mandates by Private Colleges and Universities (Part 3 of 3)
In my previous two posts on this subject, I explained that, lacking the protections...
Transgender Policy in the Biden Administration
Lauren Adams, Kenneth L. Marcus, Shannon Minter
The national conversation over transgender students’ inclusion in student athletics and school facilities has received unparalleled levels...
Transgender Policy in the Biden Administration
Teleforum