Communications Law Career Guide

By Michael Umberger
Updated March 2024
communication array
Articles

5 Insights From Sprint General Counsel Charlie Wunsch, Law360, May 8, 2014.
An interview with Sprint's General Counsel includes advice for attorneys who want to work in-house.

Katie Dowell, Cable Wise, Lawyer, Dec. 5, 2011, at 22. 
Offers information about the career of corporate lawyer Helen Copeland in the telecommunications company Cable & Wireless.

Matthew Huisman, D.C. Firm Offers Expertise in Communications Law, National Law Journal, Oct. 10, 2011.
A profile of boutique law firm Wilkinson Barker Knauer, whose client list includes Verizon, T-Mobile, Cox, and Dish Network.

Rebekah Mintzer, Move Fast and Call a Lawyer: Ten Years Since Facebook's Birth, Its Legal Department Still Faces Novel Issues Every Day, Corporate Counsel, Feb. 1, 2014.
A detailed look at Facebook's working environment and the legal issues they tackle.

Jeff Overley, Law Firms Take a Liking to Social Media Practice Groups, Law360, April 23, 2013.
A look at the new legal issues faced by major corporations as a result of social media, and how law firms are responding.

Natalie Rodriguez, Boutiques, Smaller Firms Set Pace For Social Media Law, Law360, Dec. 2, 2015.
Explains how small and midsize firms are still dominating the field of social media law.

Rachel F. Strom, "Just Do It If It's Fun": A Talk With Judge Robert D. Sack on Media Law, Communications Lawyer, Jan. 2012, at 20.  
Presents the views of Judge Robert D. Sack, who currently sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and is one of the preeminent experts on media law, on his profession.

Steven T. Taylor, Randy Smith: The Man Major Telecom Players Call Upon to Clear Antitrust Hurdles, Of Counsel, June 2007, at 20.
Interview with an antitrust lawyer who represents telecom clients. Includes a discussion about the training of new lawyers.

Periodicals

Communications Lawyer
HeinOnline

Infrastructure
HeinOnline

Other

The Federal Communications Bar Association publishes a monthly newsletter, FCBA News, that often runs an interview series titled "Get to Know an FCBA Member," which highlights prominent members of the association and features their discussing their careers. Here are some of the recent practitioners featured in the series: 

  • Sanford Williams, Deputy Chief of Staff for the FCC (Feb. 2024, pp. 16-17)
  • Edward “Smitty” Smith, Senior Vice President, Government Affairs, T-Mobile US (Jan. 2024, pp. 10-11)
  • Thaila Sundaresan, partner at Davis Wright Tremaine, San Francisco, specializing in appellate litigation and telecommunications (Oct. 2023, pp. 11-12)
  • Julie Kearney, Chief of FCC's Space Bureau (Sept. 2023, pp. 8-9)
  • Mark Denbo, Of Counsel, Smithwick & Belendiuk, P.C., a boutique communications firm specializing in radio and television broadcasting regulatory and transactional work (July 2023, pp. 7-8)
  • Angela Kung, Co-Chair of the Technology, Communications & Media Section, Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.
  • Donna Epps, Senior Vice President, Verizon

The FCBA also ofers the FCBA Unplugged Podcast, hosted by Kelly Donohue, Public Policy Manager, Network Infrastructure at Facebook, whose episodes each feature prominent communications officials and attorneys, most recently including the chair of the FCC, Jessica Rosenworcel. 

Organizations
ABA Forum on Communications Law
https://www.americanbar.org/groups/communications_law/  

ABA Infrastructure and Regulated Industries Section
https://www.americanbar.org/groups/infrastructure-regulated-industries/ 

Federal Communications Bar Association
1020 19th St. NW, Ste. 325
Washington, DC 20036-6101
tel: 202-293-4000
http://fcba.org/ 

International Technology Law Association (ITechLaw)
1660 International Drive, Suite 600
McLean, VA 22102
tel: 703-506-2895
http://www.itechlaw.org 

Photo:  Associated Press