Schlick Named General Counsel of the Federal Communications Commission
Chief of Litigation Led Successful Court Actions and Settlement Agreements

BALTIMORE, MD ( July 13, 2009) - Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler today announced that Austin Schick, Chief of Litigation in the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has been named General Counsel at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). As General Counsel, Schlick will serve as the chief legal advisor to the Commission and to its various bureaus and offices. The General Counsel also represents the Commission in litigation in federal courts, and recommends decisions in adjudicatory matters before the Commission.

“Austin has been not only a fabulous lawyer for the Office of the Attorney General, but a great leader of the Civil Division, and a wise counselor and wonderful colleague to me and many others here,” said Attorney General Gansler. “The citizens of Maryland have been fortunate to have a lawyer of Austin’s brilliance, creativity, and passion for public service overseeing the State’s most important litigation matters over the past two years, and his record of accomplishment in that short time is truly remarkable. He has been a joy to work with and we wish him every success at the FCC.”

“Working with Attorney General Gansler for the people of Maryland has been one of the best experiences of my professional life,” said Schlick. “Although I’m returning to Washington for a dream job in the federal government, it has been a special privilege to work with the staff and attorneys in the Civil Division and to help protect Maryland consumers, businesses, and our environment.”

Since joining the OAG, Schlick successfully defended the State’s new video lottery program and the 2008 ballot question against constitutional attack. He successfully negotiated settlement agreements that:

• Reduce gasoline refueling charges for rental car customers in Maryland;
• Ensure that cell phone providers fully disclose the terms of their equipment insurance policies;
• Provide for more reliable ratings of radio listening in Maryland; and
• Require clean-up of in-state waste sites and reductions in out-of-state air pollution.

Schlick also led several proactive court actions taken by the OAG, including:

• Bringing a claim to recover costs incurred by the State to ensure that Maryland’s electronic voting system is accurate, reliable, and secure - saving the State $2.3 million to date;
• Protecting the Preakness and Maryland horse industry in the ongoing Magna Entertainment bankruptcy proceeding, including successfully advocating for legislation to enable the State to acquire Magna’s Maryland racing assets if necessary;
• Defending the public’s right of access to agricultural waste and fertilizer management plans; and
• Filing an award-winning friend of the court brief on behalf of 6 states in the U.S. Supreme Court’s Ricci v. DeStefano case.

Prior to joining the OAG, Schlick served as Deputy General Counsel and Acting General Counsel at the FCC. Schlick began his service as a lawyer in the federal government at the Department of Justice where he served as an Assistant to the Solicitor General. In that capacity, he argued 7 cases before the United States Supreme Court. Schlick is a graduate of Princeton University, magna cum laude, and Yale Law School, where he served as Senior Editor of the Yale Law Journal. He is a former law clerk to Chief Judge Abner Mikva of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.