Spencer Churchill, an associate based in Troutman Pepper Locke’s Washington, D.C. office, has been appointed to serve as a deputy assistant attorney general in the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office of Legal Counsel (OLC). In his new position, he will advise on some of the most important and complex legal questions surrounding executive power and agency action. The OLC counsels the president and executive branch agencies on the parameters of their constitutional and statutory authority, reviews all executive orders, drafts legal opinions of the attorney general, and comments on the constitutionality of pending legislation.

Churchill joined Troutman’s Regulatory Investigations, Strategy + Enforcement (RISE) practice in 2024, where he focused his practice on guiding clients through complex disputes, particularly in litigation with regulatory agencies. Before joining the firm, he served as a law clerk for the Honorable Trevor N. McFadden at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the Honorable Jennifer Walker Elrod at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and the Honorable Neomi J. Rao at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Churchill earned his law degree from Harvard Law School, where he served as an executive editor for the Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, won the Irving Oberman Memorial Award for the best student writing on constitutional law, and was a two-time Summer Academic Research Fellow. He earned his bachelor’s degree in government from Patrick Henry College.

“The RISE group at Troutman works at the cutting edge of regulatory litigation. It’s a talented team that collaborates across specializations to develop creative, multi-prong strategies and deliver excellent client service,” Churchill said. “It has been a pleasure working with this talented and dedicated team, and I am looking forward to keeping in touch with the friends I’ve made for years to come.”

Stephen Piepgrass, RISE practice group leader, said, “Spencer is a tremendous lawyer and has been a vital part of our practice group. We will miss him but are confident he will put his strong writing skills and litigation experience to good use at the DOJ where I am certain he will continue his success. We wish him all the best.”