Reflecting on a Decade of The Regulatory Review

To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we collected short reflections from every person who has served as Editor-in-Chief of The Regulatory Review—from the former Editor-in-Chief who helped launch this publication originally as RegBlog to the current student overseeing The Review in its 10th year. We are lucky and grateful to have collected reflections from such talented and accomplished alumni, and we are so proud that they remember their experiences with The Review so fondly.

— The Editors

Jonathan Mincer, Editor-in-Chief, 2011–2012

I gained many gifts from helping Professor Cary Coglianese establish this publication, then known as RegBlog. The greatest gift of all was joy.

I worked hard on RegBlog. To build a student-led publication featuring world-class scholarship, we had to recruit student editors, determine an editing and publication process, and solicit work from outside contributors. We created an organizational structure, built a website, marketed the publication, and much more. After publishing staff-written work for over a year, we unveiled the new website on April 5, 2011, with the publication of our first three pieces from outside contributors, including one from future Penn Law Dean Ted Ruger.

Working on RegBlog inspired and excited me. It added to my energy level. What made working on RegBlog such a joyful experience?

Fortunately, it has turned out that many of the aspects of working on RegBlog that brought me joy exist in the practice of law. It may surprise current students—and it certainly would have surprised me, as a law student—to learn that working at a large law firm can provide similar fulfillment.

As a student editor with RegBlog, and in the years since as a practicing attorney, I have worked closely with inspiring visionaries, including Professor Coglianese and law firm partners, who have set high-level goals while giving me the autonomy and resources to succeed. I have done deeply meaningful work in both settings: educating the public about regulation and, now as an attorney, addressing clients’ critical needs, including through high-impact pro bono litigation.

When my creative juices flow these days, such as when writing briefs, I get similar joy from my work as I did as a law student working with a professor to turn our ideas into the reality of what is today this daily publication.

Jonathan Mincer was the Founding Editor-in-Chief of RegBlog, the predecessor to The Regulatory Review. He is currently an associate at Shearman & Sterling.

Sean Moloney, Editor-In-Chief, 2012–2013

One of my goals at Penn Law was to become a stronger writer. When I joined The Regulatory Review, I thought I might write articles from time to time about “regulations.” But my experience—beginning as a writer and concluding with the privilege of serving as Editor-In-Chief—was far more rewarding.

Our writers explored some of the lesser-known implications of the regulatory process. I wrote about regulatory developments that I had never focused on before: the Federal Communication Commission’s sports “blackout” rules; the Federal Aviation Administration’s regulation of takeoff and landing slots at airports; and the U.S. Coast Guard’s effort to explore alternatives to GPS.

Our editors worked to publish a broad range of administrative law scholarship from leading experts. We published a multi-part discussion of then-presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s regulatory plan, a series of essays honoring the late James Q. Wilson, a scholar of bureaucracy and regulatory policy, and insights from Professor Cass Sunstein about his time as the first Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) Administrator under President Barack H. Obama.

But the most enriching experience during my time at The Regulatory Review was learning firsthand from the tireless work ethic of Professor Cary Coglianese, our faculty advisor. The Regulatory Review would not be where it is today without him.

The Regulatory Review made me a stronger writer. It also made me a better colleague, a better manager, and a better lawyer. I expect the same was true for many others—and I hope the same will be true for many future students at Penn Law.

Sean Moloney is a senior attorney at Lumen, formerly known as CenturyLink, in Denver, Colorado.

Jay Hobbs, Editor-in-Chief, 2013–2014

My time at The Regulatory Review, including serving as Editor-in-Chief, was one of my most rewarding and challenging experiences of law school.

It was a privilege to work with leading academics, practitioners, and judges to publish their work. I still rely on the lessons that I learned editing and writing for a publication that required clear, concise prose to bring complex issues to a broad audience.

But the most significant thing I learned was that running The Regulatory Review—much like the practice of law—was a team effort.

Publishing original and high-quality work on a daily basis is incredibly challenging, especially considering all the other demands of law school. Operating this publication is not possible without a strong team dedicated to a shared vision. As the Editor-in-Chief, I learned that the most important thing I could do was to make sure each member of the team felt supported and encouraged.

Our hardworking group of writers and editors brought a wide array of perspectives to regulatory questions and formed the backbone of the publication. Professor Coglianese is one of the hardest working people I know. He was an engine of ideas for essays and potential contributors, as well as a constant advocate for The Regulatory Review. Our Managing Editor, Lauren-Kelly Greenbacker, was a master of management, organization, and good judgment. I remain thankful for her partnership and friendship.

Although the details of late-night editing, website redesign, and searches for stock images have faded from my memory, the lessons I learned about teamwork have only grown stronger.

Jay Hobbs is an associate at Steptoe & Johnson LLP.

Jessica Bassett, Editor-in-Chief, 2014–2015

Without question, being part of The Regulatory Review was the highlight of my law school experience.

Working on The Regulatory Review not only improved my writing, but it also provided a forum to explore any area of regulation desired. The Regulatory Review introduced me to important issues that I would not have known about otherwise—my favorite being “incorporation by reference.” It was extremely rewarding to see a piece that a colleague or I had researched, written, and revised end up being published online, and it was exciting to learn that people from all over the world were reading our work.

As Editor-in-Chief, I gained many practical skills—including how to send mass emails and how to run a website. What I carry with me most, however, are the relationships I formed with the writers, the editorial board, and our advisor, Professor Cary Coglianese. We were a tight-knit group committed to creating a quality, accessible publication that would be interesting and educational to readers. As a team, we were able to achieve that goal as well as add to our readership. I am lucky and grateful to have been a part of The Regulatory Review, and I look forward to watching it continue to grow and progress. Cheers to ten years!

Jessica Bassett is an incoming law clerk at Sand & Saidel PC.

Alexandra Hamilton, Editor-in-Chief, 2015–2016

The Regulatory Review is a phenomenal resource that brings together a unique combination of well-articulated and accurate student-authored articles on regulatory news of all types, as well as thought-provoking insights from academics, practitioners, regulators, and more. For me, though, The Regulatory Review will always be the source of my career.

Writing for and editing pieces for The Review afforded me the opportunity to explore topics throughout the administrative state and hone an interest in environmental law—the field in which I now practice. When I sat down to write my first essay for The Regulatory Review, on the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark environmental decision in Michigan v. EPA, I began by reading the entire Clean Air Act. Perhaps this was not the most efficient approach to conduct research, and almost certainly not one I would have the leeway or time to take now. But that experience is indicative of The Regulatory Review’s invaluable role as an incubator of intellectual curiosity for its student staff. I am thrilled to see the excellent tradition continue as The Regulatory Review celebrates its ten-year anniversary.

Alexandra Hamilton is an associate at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP.

Kim Kirschenbaum, Editor-in-Chief, 2016–2017

“The sky is the limit.”

It was the spring of 2016 and I had just been named the new Editor-in-Chief of a publication then-called RegBlog, when faculty advisor Cary Coglianese imparted these five words of wisdom to our team as we discussed our editorial vision for the coming year. Four years later, I can think of no five words that better embody my experience leading this publication—owing to the extraordinary faculty advisor and editorial team with whom I had the privilege of working and to the tireless spirit that continues to drive this publication year after year.

When our editorial team took the reins of this publication, we devised an aspirational game plan for the year ahead—one that entailed, all at once, increasing our readership, subscriber base, social media followers, and contributor submissions, along with implementing a whole host of significant internal changes. To the outside observer—and, in candor, to even myself at times—our vision seemed overly ambitious, if not outright quixotic. And yet, by year’s end, we achieved every goal: Among other undertakings, we expanded the scope of our coverage; published more series and special features than ever before; established a content alert system for our readers; ratcheted up our social media activity; implemented a series of internal changes aimed at streamlining our operations; added new features to our weekly newsletter and other regularly produced content; unveiled a fully redesigned website; and undertook an extensive rebranding initiative that culminated in the renaming of our publication from RegBlog to The Regulatory Review.

All of these feats were made possible by the awe-inspiring, indefatigable sensibility that is embedded in the very fabric of this publication—a sensibility that, as we now commemorate this ten-year milestone, no doubt continues to drive this publication to ever-greater heights. Here at The Regulatory Review, the sky truly is the limit.

Kim Kirschenbaum served as the founding Editor-in-Chief of The Regulatory Review. She is currently clerking in the Southern District of New York.

Charles M. Rosenthal, Editor-in-Chief, 2017–2018

Law school was, at times, a little abstract for me. Far too often for my tastes, we focused exclusively on a case’s legal reasoning, rather than on the implications of that reasoning. Law school famously “teaches you how to think,” and, although that was true in my experience, learning how to think was only half the battle.

The Regulatory Review provides its staff members with the opportunity to participate in the ever-evolving discussions that practitioners have. Through both the production of the website and the in-class seminars, we had a rare opportunity to exercise those “how to think” skills and participate in essential, practical discussions.

Thanks to Professor Coglianese’s ceaseless focus, we developed the practical habits of mind that were key to our work for The Regulatory Review and are now key to my practice and my professional writing, including attention to detail, clarity, and concision, among others. During my time with The Review, I learned that complex subject matter is not an excuse for knotty, inaccessible writing. Indeed, my experience has been that, if I cannot explain something clearly in writing, I do not understand it sufficiently. From reading The Regulatory Review, I can tell this valuable lesson continues to be well learned by the publication’s staff.

And so, let me express my heartiest congratulations to Professor Coglianese and all past and present The Regulatory Review staff and contributors for an excellent inaugural decade. Best wishes on many future decades!

Charles M. Rosenthal is an associate at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz.

Sarah Madigan, Editor-in-Chief, 2018–2019

Serving as Editor-in-Chief of The Regulatory Review marked the beginning of my legal career. In every respect, The Regulatory Review epitomizes why I chose the legal profession: understanding how laws and regulations affect everyday life and communicating that understanding through writing.

My time with The Regulatory Review catalyzed the development of skills crucial to any legal career. As a staff, we grappled with regulations that touched every aspect of everyday life, including education, agriculture, health, finance, infrastructure, and many others. Our experience taught us not only how to communicate information succinctly to our readers, but also about the responsibility of communicating that information accurately.

We learned how to distill complex, dense regulations into compelling and informative essays upon which our readers could rely. We ensured the accuracy of our content by double-checking, then triple-checking, every fact cited. Working and communicating with contributors put us into an orbit of experts and better prepared us for entry into the professional world.

My fellow staff members and their all-hands-on-deck attitude was one of the best parts of working on The Regulatory Review. We learned first hand of the accountability that comes with being part of a team.

The Regulatory Review stands for hard work, deliberation, communication, attention to detail, teamwork, and quality. Today, I look back on my time working on The Regulatory Review as one of my fondest memories of law school. But, as I find myself continuing to put to use every skill and principle this publication taught me, I am constantly aware that The Regulatory Review continues to shape my present.

Sarah Madigan is an associate at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP.

Simone Hussussian, Editor-in-Chief, 2019–2020

In a recent essay, Professor Coglianese wrote that “people are what regulation is all about and what it takes to make regulation work.” People are also what The Regulatory Review is all about and what it takes to make this publication work.

During my time as Editor-in-Chief, we published 337 essays, upholding a nearly decade-long tradition of publishing original content every business day. We also expanded publication to Saturdays by creating a new feature, the Saturday Seminar. None of this could be achieved without a hardworking team of dedicated regulatory enthusiasts and our faculty advisor, Professor Coglianese.

When I joined The Regulatory Review, I immediately noticed how integral teamwork is to the success of the publication. My teammates became my friends over the course of my second year of law school, and we became even closer as an editorial board. Working with them has been the foremost highlight of my law school career and something that I will treasure as I begin my legal career.

The Regulatory Review also seeks to connect regulation to the people affected by it, translating some of the most complicated topics into easy-to-read essays for a general audience. Our board took this mission of public service to heart, as is evidenced in the noticeable improvements in our own writing.

Professor Coglianese’s undying dedication to The Regulatory Review and the students who run it is what makes working for The Review such a unique experience. Not only does he play an instrumental role in ensuring the success of the publication, but he has also been a steadfast supporter and mentor for all of us.

Moving forward, I know that current and future Penn Law students are well positioned to continue the success of The Regulatory Review.

Simone Hussussian is an incoming associate at Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath in Chicago. 

Larissa Morgan, Editor-in-Chief, 2020–2021

The Regulatory Review, its staff, and Professor Coglianese embody a hallmark of a Penn Law education: collegiality.

I can vividly recall learning about The Review from a former board member. His enthusiasm and passion for The Review were energizing—exactly the type of inspiration I needed during the grind of my first year of law school. Joining The Review in the spring semester of my first year, I knew I would be among a community of talented, ambitious, and intellectually curious law students. I did not realize, however, how impactful the community aspect of The Review would be to my Penn Law experience. Beyond the vigor with which our staff carefully edits pieces exists the same type of shared passion for our publication that I saw in the former board member who first introduced me to The Review.

Together, our editors pour their insights, hard work, attention to detail, and—most importantly—respect for each other and our contributors into every essay. The quality of each essay not only showcases the expertise and talent of our contributors and staff, but also reflects the integrity of our editors and the teamwork that is at the core of our editing process.

The leadership of any organization sets the tone, and our advisor Professor Coglianese has been an invaluable source of guidance for The Review’s staff. His mentorship fosters an environment of openness to others’ opinions, and challenges us to explore how regulation touches nearly every area of the law and life. He also encourages us to acknowledge that the strength of The Review is only possible through collaboration. Despite the many challenges of this year—notably, transitioning to our new roles as a board and selecting new associate editors while moving fully remote for the academic year—Professor Coglianese’s unwavering support helped us consistently publish an average of more than one essay per day every week since the start of our tenure.

The Review has been the highlight of my Penn Law education. I have not only developed leadership, professional, and academic skills that I know will serve me in my future, but I have also gained a community of colleagues, friends, and a mentor. Congrats to a ten-year legacy of success!

Larissa Morgan is a third-year student at the University of Pennsylvania Law School and the current Editor-in-Chief of The Regulatory Review.