Luke Wake

Attorney at Pacific Legal Foundation

Sacramento, California, United States

About

I am an attorney working in PLF's separation of powers practice group. We have an ambitious goal of reining-in the administrative state by reinvigorating the structural protections for individual liberty within our Constitution. To that end I am building and litigating cases challenging unlawful regulation with the aim of establishing positive precedent in the courts--all in the name of advancing liberty. After eight years working at NFIB I have tremendous insight into the regulatory issues facing the small business community. I have developed expertise, produced educational materials and compliance resources on a employment and independent contracting issues, and on various other regulatory issues. I have written extensively on regulatory issues in my role as Chairman of the Regulatory Transparency Project's State and Local Regulation Working Group. And in addition, I've published many law review articles on diverse regulatory topics. As a litigator I have focused especially on the non-delegation doctrine--which is the constitutional precept that Congress (or the State Legislature) cannot give away its lawmaking powers to the Executive Branch.

Experience

  • Attorney at Pacific Legal Foundation
    Jun 2020 - Present · 6 yrs 2 mos

  • Senior Staff Attorney at NFIB
    Mar 2012 - 2020 · 7 yrs 11 mos

    NFIB Legal Center

  • Fellow, College of Public Interest Law at Pacific Legal Foundation
    Sep 2009 - Aug 2011 · 2 yrs

    Land-use and environmental litigation. Drafted complaints, petitions for writ of mandamus, summary judgment filings and appellate briefs; propounded discovery requests and responses; drafted FOIAs and public records requests.

  • Extern at North Carolina Supreme Court
    May 2007 - Aug 2007 · 4 mos

    Reviewed petitions for discretionary review and prepared memoranda offering recommendations to the Court; drafted bench-briefs and researched pending issues, including criminal, contractual, labor and other commercial matters.

  • Communications Coordinator at Civitas Institute
    Jan 2006 - Aug 2006 · 8 mos