Joel Roberson

Practice Areas

Government Law & Policy

Aviation

Defense, Aviation & Space

Automotive

Career

Joel E. Roberson is a Shareholder in the Government Law & Policy Practice providing firm clients with federal lobbying, advocacy, and strategic counseling services. Joel’s practice focuses on representing clients at the intersection between transportation and technology, as well as issues related to food, agriculture and over-the-counter drugs. Joel represents Fortune 500 companies, technology start-ups, not-for-profit organizations, and trade associations across several industries. Joel assists clients to identify federal policy blockers to growth and assists his clients in working to overcome such challenges through bipartisan coalition building, strategy development, legislative drafting, and high-stakes negotiation on behalf of clients navigating federal legislative and regulatory processes.

A significant portion of Joel’s practice involves advising technology clients on emerging public policy and regulatory matters. He counsels clients on issues related to self-driving cars, unmanned aircraft systems, artificial intelligence, intelligent sensors, privacy, data brokers, and data breach response. Joel works regularly with Congress, the White House, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the Federal Aviation Administration to establish new policies that enable the safe integration of autonomous vehicles, drones, and advanced air mobility into the national transportation framework. He also prepares clients for congressional testimony, including testimony related to congressional investigations into data breaches. His work in this area extends to artificial intelligence policy, counter-drone authorities, and remote identification requirements for unmanned aircraft. Joel has written and spoken frequently on these topics, authoring dozens of publications and presentations at conferences hosted by organizations such as the American Bar Association, the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the National Press Photographers Association.

Joel also maintains an active practice advising health care and nutrition clients on public policy and regulatory issues. He works with clients on matters involving the regulation of food, pharmaceuticals, and over-the-counter drugs. Joel has helped clients enact legislation that reformed the way the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves and regulates over-the-counter drug products, including sunscreens and medical gases. He advises clients on food safety compliance, including implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act and the Farm Bill. Joel has drafted health care legislation, provisions of FDA reform bills, and amendments to pending legislation that were ultimately enacted into law. He also assists clients in preparing public comments submitted to federal agencies and in building internal regulatory compliance programs.

Joel’s understanding of the legislative process is informed by his prior service in Congress. He worked within the Leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives, where he prepared legislation for floor debate, developed debate strategy, created messaging, and distributed floor briefings for members of Congress and congressional staff. He also served as a law clerk for the House Judiciary Committee, where he prepared members of Congress to debate the first reauthorization of the Patriot Act.

Concentrations:

Assisting clients to introduce new technology into highly regulated industries, such as autonomous vehicles, drones and intelligent sensors

Enabling automation across all modes of transportation

Removing federal regulatory blockers to a client’s economic growth

Counseling clients to maximize the benefits and manage the risks of the adoption of artificial intelligence

Maintaining a safe food and agriculture supply chain through appropriate federal regulatory framework

Reforming FDA regulation of over-the-counter drugs, such as sunscreens and medical gases

Personal

Education:

J.D., Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology, 2007

B.A., Duke University, 2002