Tariff Counsel

Most days tend to involve reviewing tariff filings, supporting regulatory filings before utility commissions, drafting tariff language and supporting testimony, and working on regulatory-compliance issues. You'll often handle filing-document preparation in the morning, research regulatory precedent or draft testimony support in the afternoon, and engage with regulators or expert witnesses on contested matters.

The hardest parts tend to be the procedural strictness of regulatory practice and the slow pace of administrative proceedings. Tariff filings and rate cases can take months to resolve, and the technical complexity rivals tax practice. Settings vary — large utility companies have in-house tariff counsel teams; consulting firms and law firms serve multiple regulated clients; some state-level work moves faster than federal proceedings before FERC or the FCC.

People who tend to thrive here are patient, comfortable with regulatory text, methodical with procedural detail, and interested in how public utilities, telecom, and transportation actually get regulated. If you want courtroom drama or fast-resolution work, regulatory practice can feel slow. If you find satisfaction in shaping the rules and rates that affect millions of customers, the work can be quietly important.