Former DOJ Deputy Assistant Attorney General Zachary C. Schauf Returns to Jenner & Block

Jenner & Block is pleased to announce that Zachary C. Schauf, a strategic counselor and appellate litigator, has returned to Jenner following two years of service as Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the US Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel. Zach will be a partner in the firm’s Washington, DC office, and a member of the Energy, Appellate and Supreme Court, and Government Controversies and Public Policy practices.

"We are thrilled to welcome Zach back to Jenner & Block. His extensive litigation and regulatory experience in the energy sector, coupled with his distinguished record of appellate advocacy and his service advising on the federal government’s most difficult matters of law and policy, will be invaluable to our clients," said Co-Managing Partners Ishan Bhabha and Randy Mehrberg. "His deep commitment to excellence and public service exemplifies the core values that define Jenner & Block's culture and mission."

During his prior nine-year tenure at Jenner, Zach built a reputation as a skilled advocate and strategic counselor advising clients on matters involving energy policy and regulation. He successfully defended state programs supporting zero emissions nuclear power plants in landmark cases and litigated a slew of matters involving the Federal Power Act, the Administrative Procedure Act, preemption, and the dormant commerce clause. Again and again, clients turned to Zach to advance their strategic goals within existing regulatory and legal frameworks, as well as for help in reimagining those frameworks amidst a rapidly changing industry. He represented clients on a range of energy policy issues including market design, carbon regulation, transmission policy, and other matters before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, US Environmental Protection Agency, state public utility commissions, and other federal agencies.

"Zach's experience navigating complex regulatory frameworks in the government and the private sector, and his proven track record in high-stakes energy matters will provide immediate value to our clients," said Energy Practice Co-Chairs Laurie Edelstein and Suedeen Kelly. "His familiar presence and deep industry knowledge ensure a seamless transition back to private practice."

At the Office of Legal Counsel, Zach helped lead the Office’s 20 lawyers and advised the President, the Attorney General, and nearly every cabinet agency on many of the most important issues facing the federal government across myriad substantive areas, including constitutional questions of all stripes, administrative law, fiscal law and crises, civil litigation and settlements, government contracts and procurement, immigration and border security, civil rights, treaties and foreign affairs, labor and pension issues, and ethics. Zach also served on the Department’s Reproductive Rights Task Force, led the Office’s work reviewing the constitutionality of proposed legislation, and advised on the Supreme Court’s groundbreaking administrative-law decisions in Jarkesy and Loper Bright.

A seasoned appellate advocate, Zach has argued before the Supreme Court, where he has served as counsel of record in 50 cases, the en banc DC Circuit, and federal and state trial and appellate courts across the country. He led the victorious briefing teams in McGirt v. Oklahoma and Brackeen v. Haaland, two of the most important Native American law cases of the last century. Zach also received the firm’s Albert E. Jenner Pro Bono award for his work on Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta and related cases, where he fought back Oklahoma’s efforts to overrule McGirt after Justice Ginsburg’s death. In 2022, The American Lawyer named Zach a Trailblazer for his work on Moore v. Harper, where Zach served as the first-chair trial lawyer in North Carolina state court and won a victory for voters seeking fair electoral maps untainted by partisan gerrymandering.

"I'm thrilled to rejoin Jenner & Block and to leverage my government experience to help our clients navigate their most difficult legal challenges, in the energy sector and beyond," said Zach. "I know from experience that Jenner’s lawyers are exceptional, both in their commitment to clients and in their dedication to living the firm’s core values. The firm's collaborative approach to solving complex legal challenges aligns perfectly with my vision for serving clients."

Zach graduated first in his class from Harvard Law School, where he won the Ames Moot Court Competition and served as president of the Harvard Law Review. He clerked for Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan and for then–Judge Merrick B. Garland, under whom Zach also served at the US Department of Justice.