Devin Watkins is an attorney at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. Devin Watkins previously worked at the Cato Institute as a legal associate and interned at the Institute for Justice. At the Cato Institute, Watkins worked on a variety of Supreme Court cases, and one of the briefs he worked on was cited by the Court. His op-eds have appeared in National Review Online, The Hill, Time, and The Federalist among others.
Watkins holds a Juris Doctor cum laude from George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School, where he was the development editor on the Mason Law Review. Prior to his legal career Watkins was a senior software developer at Intel and WebMD. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Watkins is a member of the District of Columbia Bar, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Bar, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit Bar.
Authored by Devin Watkins
News
DOE adopts CEI view on appliance water and energy limits
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released new rules on appliance energy and water limits Friday that agreed with the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s (CEI)…
Trump executive order restores consumer choice for home appliances
In 2018, the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) petitioned the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to adopt regulations allowing dishwashers that complete a full cycle…
Constitutional challenge over spending power should be limited to executive powers – CEI analysis
Following his inauguration, President Donald Trump has made it known he intends to reduce federal spending. But a 1974 law called the Impoundment Control Act…
Blog
Two courts, one message: Tariffs need congressional backing
- By: Devin Watkins
Within the last few days, two courts have enjoined President Trump’s tariffs under International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) finding them unlawful. First, the US…
Presidential discretion allowed by the Impoundment Control Act
- By: Devin Watkins
The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) publishing my paper this week about the possible constitutional arguments against the Impoundment Control Act of 1974. This…
CEI to Supreme Court: Please don’t let executive branch set tax rates
- By: Devin Watkins
Yesterday, the Competitive Enterprise Institute filed an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to recognize that only Congress has the authority to write the…
Op-Eds/Articles
The Federalist Society
Court Holds the Corporate Transparency Act Is Unconstitutional: A Victory for Limited Government and the Right to Privacy
- By: Devin Watkins
Earlier this month, a federal district court judge issued a preliminary injunction against the enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), a law that requires new…
DC Journal
Point: The Supreme Court Is Empowering Voters
- By: Devin Watkins
The Supreme Court’s recent term signaled a monumental shift toward liberty as it rolled back the unchecked power of federal agencies and reaffirmed the constitutional…
The Federalist Society
Federal Court Recognizes Limits to Federal Power Over At-Home Distilling
- By: Devin Watkins
What are the limits of the federal government’s powers? That critical question has been debated since the nation’s Founding, and a recent federal court decision…
Studies
Constitutional Restoration: How to rebuild the separation of powers
Introduction A specter is haunting America—the specter of unlimited government. A central feature of our Constitution is that it restricts the federal government’s powers. These…
Citations
GOP Ready Rollbacks of Biden’s ‘Efficiency’ Mandates For Home Appliances
- By: Devin Watkins
MCRTV cited CEI’s expert on home appliances “Responding specifically to Trump’s executive action, Devin Watkins, attorney at the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), observed: ‘Federal…
The New York Times
Make Dishwashers Great Again?
- By: Devin Watkins
The New York Times cited CEI’s expert on the appliance industry “Federal limits on water and energy use have made appliances slower and less…
Bloomberg Law
Trump’s Plan to Control More Civil Servants Disrupts Opposition
- By: Devin Watkins
Bloomberg Law cites CEI’s Devin Watkins on Trump’s civil service overhaul. Trump’s civil service overhaul could still be challenged in court once the OPM finalizes…
Regulatory Comments
Improving Accreditation Process and Strengthening Legal Education
- By: Devin Watkins
RE: Improving Accreditation Process and Strengthening Legal Education Requirements for Accredited Agents and Attorneys, 89 Fed. Reg. 82546 (Oct. 11, 2024), Docket VA-2024-OTHER-0022-0001 (to be…
Department of Energy, Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Dishwashers. Comments of the Competitive Enterprise Institute
Comments of the Competitive Enterprise Institute I. SUMMARY The Notification of Proposed Confirmation of Withdrawal and Request for Comment (proposal) seeks to terminate Department…
Comment on FTC Unfair or Deceptive Fees
- By: Devin Watkins
Dear Commissioners, On behalf of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, I respectfully submit the following comments in response to the Federal Trade Commission’s proposed rulemaking concerning…