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
Supreme Court unanimous on free speech in NRA case ruling
The Supreme Court today unanimously ruled in favor of free speech rights in NRA v. Vullo, a case in which the Competitive Enterprise Institute had…
Fifth Circuit hits pause on the SEC climate disclosure rule: CEI analysis
A controversial climate disclosure rule put forward by the Securities and Exchange Commission has been stopped by a federal appeals court. On Friday, March 15,…
Supreme Court hears challenge to regulator deference: CEI analysis
Today the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in a case that could upend deference judges give to regulators over citizens. Competitive Enterprise Institute attorneys…
Blog
CEI sues to end federal at-home distilling ban
- By: Devin Watkins
The Competitive Enterprise Institute, which regularly litigates against federal overreach, represents the Hobby Distillers Association and its members in a lawsuit seeking an end…
Appeals court rejects DOE’s attempt to eliminate fast dishwashers
- By: Devin Watkins
The days of dishwashers with four-hour cleaning cycles may be coming to an end. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals repudiated the Biden administration’s…
A Jury Trial Must Precede Fines and Occupational Banishment
- By: Devin Watkins
Imagine that the government has accused you of wrongdoing that you didn’t commit. You would expect a jury of your peers to recognize your innocence.
Op-Eds/Articles
Frederick News Post
A new proposal for constitutional restoration
Now that Congress has gotten past debt-ceiling drama, next up is wrangling the nation’s budget for the coming year. A budget is about policy and…
Inside Sources
Why the CFPB Is at Death’s Door
- By: Devin Watkins
President Reagan once said, “Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on…
The Washington Examiner
OSHA Cannot Constitutionally Coerce People into Vaccinations
- By: Devin Watkins
President Joe Biden says he will have federal regulators make employers require workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19, or else they’ll…
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
Bloomberg Law
NRA Ruling Eyed for Clues in Supreme Court Social Media Case
- By: Devin Watkins
CEI’s Devin Watkins was cited in a Bloomberg Law article on the likely legal justification of an incoming Supreme Court ruling: Devin Watkins, an…
Texas Observer
DISTILLERS WANT TO DECRIMINALIZE MAKING BOOZE AT HOME
- By: Devin Watkins
CEI’s Devin Watkins provided comments in the Texas Observer on a legal case to decriminalize home distilling: In 2023, the Hobby Distiller’s Association renewed…
The Federalist Society
Boiling Down the Enumerated Powers: CEI Challenges the Federal Ban on Home Distilling
- By: Devin Watkins
CEI’s Devin Watkins was cited in a recent blog posting on The Federalist Society about the home distilling ban: In a recently filed lawsuit, the Competitive…
Regulatory Comments
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…
CEI Comments on Proposed OMB Circular No. A-4
- By: Devin Watkins
RE: Request for Comments on Proposed OMB Circular No. A-4, “Regulatory Analysis”, 88 FR 20915 (Apr. 7, 2023), Docket OMB-2022-0014 Dear Mr. Revesz, I am…
CEI Comments on the Proposed Regulation on Digital Discrimination of Access
Introduction. On behalf of the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), we respectfully submit the following comments in response to the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) notice of…