Neomi Rao

Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit

Appears in 1 story

Office: Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit

Born: March 22, 1973, Bloomfield Hills

Education: Yale University, University of Chicago Law School

Last updated Nov 2, 2026

Stories

Trump’s unitary-executive showdown with independent agencies

Rule Changes

Dissented from D.C. Circuit decision that reinstated Rebecca Slaughter at the FTC

President Donald Trump fired Federal Trade Commission commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter in March 2025 without stating cause, setting off a legal fight over whether presidents can remove members of independent agencies at will. On June 29, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 for Trump, struck down the FTC's for-cause removal protections and overruled Humphrey's Executor, the 1935 decision that had shielded multi-member commissions from at-will removal.

Updated Oct 19