Obama names Indian-American to communications body

Washington: President Barack Obama has named an Indian American lawyer Ajit Varadaraj Pai, a Republican, and Jessica Rosenworcel, a Democrat, as Commissioners on the bipartisan Federal Communications Commission.

Pai, a Partner in the Litigation Department of Jenner & Block LLP, formerly worked in the Office of the General Counsel at the FCC as Deputy General Counsel, Associate General Counsel, and Special Advisor to the General Counsel, according to a White House announcement.

Previously, he served as Chief Counsel to the US Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Property Rights and as Senior Counsel at the Office of Legal Policy at the US Department of Justice.

Pai also served as Deputy Chief Counsel to the US Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts, and as Associate General Counsel at Verizon Communications Inc.

Pai began his career as a law clerk to Judge Martin L.C. Feldman of the US District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, and then as an Honours Program trial attorney in the Telecommunications Task Force at the US Department of Justice's Antitrust Division.

Pai holds a BA from Harvard University and a JD from the University of Chicago.