<p>Widener Law Commonwealth hosted alumnus Donald F. McGahn II &rsquo;94, former White House Counsel to President Donald J. Trump, who conducted the continuing legal education seminar &ldquo;The Legal and Regulatory Landscape in the Era of Trump.&rdquo;</p>
<p><img src="irl://2266//" alt="Photo of Don McGahn giving a CLE lecture." style="float: right;" width="300" /></p>
<p>Speaking to a crowd of about 160, McGahn discussed his role leading regulatory reform during his nearly two-year tenure in the Trump administration.</p>
<p>McGahn said President Trump imposed a 2-for-1 rule to reduce the number of government regulations, eliminating two regulations for every new regulation promulgated.</p>
<p>&ldquo;[In the past] they tried new regulations for the sake of new regulations,&rdquo; said McGahn. &ldquo;A better model for success is to encourage people to comply and articulate clear standards.&rdquo;</p>
<p>McGahn fielded questions on how he became interested in the law and the judiciary (watching the Supreme Court nomination hearings for Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas), the role of a government lawyer (in his case, representing the President in his role as chief executive officer) and his role shepherding judicial nominees through the confirmation process (including two Supreme Court Justices).</p>
<p>McGahn bemoaned the drawn out multimedia event that confirmation hearings have become, but said streamlining the judicial selection process from a large committee to just two &ndash; he and the president &ndash; allowed Trump to move more quickly on selection and gave more time to meet with members of the Senate.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I was the right guy for the first two years,&rdquo; said McGahn, who left the White House in October, 2018 and returned to the international law firm Jones Day.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Widener Law Commonwealth is honored that one of our most esteemed alumni would return to share his insights and knowledge with our students and the greater Widener community,&rdquo; said Dean Christian A. Johnson. &ldquo;Don McGahn&rsquo;s career trajectory from Widener Law Commonwealth to the White House is testament to what can be achieved with hard work and a good law degree.&rdquo;</p>
<p><img src="irl://2265//" alt="Photo of Don McGahn talking with Widener Law Commonwealth students." style="float: left;" width="300" /></p>
<p>Prior to the seminar, McGahn participated in a &ldquo;fireside chat&rdquo; with a group of &nbsp;Widener Law Commonwealth students, offering observations on his career and dispensing advice.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t be too wedded to one thing,&rdquo; he told them. &ldquo;I thought I would be an entertainment lawyer.&rdquo;&nbsp; McGahn urged them to get practical experience during law school, learn from all levels in the workplace - those above and below you - and to &ldquo;stay hungry.&rdquo;</p>
<p>McGahn began his tenure as White House Counsel on Inauguration Day, January 20, 2017. In this role he advised President Trump and his administration on a broad range of legal matters, including constitutional and statutory authority, executive orders, international agreements, tariffs, trade, administrative law, and national security.</p>
<p>McGahn returned to Jones Day in the Spring of 2019 and now leads the firm&rsquo;s Government Regulation practice, where he and represents clients before government agencies, in enforcement matters, and in litigation arising from government regulation or action.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/widenerlawcommonwealth/albums/72157713215982116/with/49571419457/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">View the photos from the two events on our Flickr page.</a></p>
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