S. Eugene Scalia

S. Eugene Scalia. Samuel Eugene Scalia is an American attorney and government official who served as the 28th United States Secretary of Labor under President Donald Trump. The son of late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, he built a prominent career in labor law and administrative law prior to his cabinet appointment. His tenure at the Department of Labor was marked by a focus on deregulation and revising Obama-era rules.

Early life and education

Samuel Eugene Scalia was born in Washington, D.C., the seventh of nine children to Justice Antonin Scalia and his wife Maureen Scalia. He grew up in McLean, Virginia, and attended the University of Virginia, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in English. He then earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Chicago Law School, where he served as an editor for the prestigious University of Chicago Law Review. His legal education at University of Chicago was heavily influenced by the Chicago school of economics and textualism, philosophies closely associated with his father.

Legal career

After law school, Scalia served as a law clerk for Judge Ralph K. Winter Jr. of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He began his career at the law firm Hunton & Williams before moving to the Gibson Dunn firm in Washington, D.C.. He later served as Solicitor for the United States Department of Labor during the George W. Bush administration, where he represented the department before federal courts including the Supreme Court of the United States. Returning to private practice, he became a partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, specializing in challenging federal regulations and representing corporate clients against the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

U.S. Secretary of Labor

Nominated by President Donald Trump in July 2019, Scalia was confirmed by the United States Senate in a largely party-line vote and sworn in on September 30, 2019. As Secretary, he led efforts to roll back regulations, including the Persuader Rule and an Obama-era expansion of overtime eligibility. His department issued significant rules on independent contractor status and joint employer liability, which were favored by business groups. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration under his leadership emphasized voluntary guidance for employers over issuing new emergency temporary standards for workplace safety.

Post-government career

Following the end of the Trump administration, Scalia returned to the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher as a partner in its Administrative Law and Labor and Employment practice groups. He has been a frequent speaker on regulatory policy at events hosted by organizations like the Federalist Society and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He also serves on the board of the George C. Marshall Foundation and has written opinion pieces for publications such as The Wall Street Journal on issues of executive power and regulatory reform.

Personal life

Scalia married the former Patricia G. Scalia in 1994, and they have nine children. The family resides in McLean, Virginia, and are active members of the Catholic Church. An avid reader of history and biography, he has cited Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln as personal inspirations. He maintains close ties with his siblings, including John Scalia, a fellow attorney, and Father Paul Scalia, a Catholic priest in the Diocese of Arlington.

Category:1963 births Category:Living people Category:United States Secretaries of Labor Category:American labor lawyers Category:University of Virginia alumni Category:University of Chicago Law School alumni