Neomi Rao

Neomi Rao is an American judge and government official who currently serves as a Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, one of the most influential appellate courts in the nation. Born in Pennsylvania to Indian immigrant parents, Rao earned her undergraduate degree from University of Michigan and her law degree from University of Chicago Law School. She served as the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) under President Trump from 2019 to 2020, where she focused on reducing regulatory burden on American businesses. Prior to her judicial appointment in 2020, she was an Associate Professor at the University of Arizona's James E. Rogers College of Law, where she taught Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, and Civil Procedure. Known for her originalist interpretation of the Constitution and her scholarly work on the administrative state, Rao has become an influential voice in conservative legal circles. Her appointment to the D.C. Circuit was significant as she became one of the youngest judges appointed to the court in recent years.