Richard E. Wiley Receives The Catholic University of America's Milestone Award

On May 1, 2012, The Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law, in conjunction with the Institute for Communications Law Studies and the Communications Law Institute Alumni Association, held a reception to honor Wiley Rein Chairman Richard E. Wiley with its prestigious Milestone Award.  The award was presented at a benefit reception and ceremony at The Renaissance Mayflower Hotel, with proceeds going to the Professor Harvey L. Zuckman Scholarship Fund, established in honor of the Institute's founder.

"Not only was it an honor to receive the award, but it was made even more rewarding to know that the event raised financial aid for promising law students who are interested in communications law," said Mr. Wiley, chair of the firm's 80-member Communications Practice.

The Milestone Award recognizes attorneys in the field of communications law and policy for exemplary service to the law school and outstanding achievement in their field.  It is only the third time the Institute has bestowed the award since its inception in 1996.

"Mr. Wiley has repeatedly been recognized as one of the nation's 100 "most influential" lawyers by The National Law Journal. If the Columbus School of Law kept such a list, he would certainly rank at the top of our own," said law school Dean Veryl V. Miles.  "Mr. Wiley's unwavering support of our Institute for Communications Law Studies has been a critical factor in its success. The mentorship he has provided to so many of our Institute alumni has been immeasurable and this celebration is a testament of our appreciation for all that he has done." 

Mr. Wiley, a former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission and a recipient of an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the Columbus School of Law, was honored for his longstanding and wide-ranging commitment to the law school and the Institute. 

For more than 20 years, Mr. Wiley has encouraged Wiley Rein attorneys to serve as adjunct faculty and guest speakers at the University; sponsored the Institute's annual Symposium, National Moot Court competition and special events; and served as a member of the Editorial Advisory Board for the CommLaw Conspectus: Journal of Communications Law and Policy.

"I am delighted that the Institute for Communications Law Studies has chosen to honor Dick Wiley with its coveted Milestone Award for lifetime achievement," said Professor Zuckman.  "I am doubly pleased that money raised by the event will be utilized to fund a scholarship at the Columbus School of Law."

The event raised over $135,000, enough to award scholarships to deserving law students with a demonstrated interest in pursuing a career in communications law.  

"For over 25 years graduates of the Institute for Communications Law Studies have made significant contributions to the field of communications law," said Donna C. Gregg, director of the Institute. "We are grateful to our founder, to our alumni, and to Milestone Award recipient Dick Wiley and the many other friends whose support will enable a new generation of students to continue CLI's tradition of excellence."

The Milestone Award was first given in 1996 to the late James Quello, a former FCC Chairman and a public policy consultant at Wiley Rein.  It was awarded in 2001 to former FCC Commissioner Kathleen Q. Abernathy, an alumna of the Institute.