Joe Whitley Honored as a Trailblazer of DHS

Homeland Security Today has named Womble Bond Dickinson Partner Joe Whitley a Trailblazer of DHS for his long-time service and contributions to the Department of Homeland Security.

Whitley served as the Department’s first General Counsel when the agency was founded 25 years ago. 

In honoring Whitley, Homeland Security Today wrote, “Joe Whitley helped give a new Department its legal footing. When DHS began bringing together 22 agencies and offices with different statutes, enforcement powers, workforces, contracts, records, and institutional cultures, the challenge was not only to organize the structure—it was to make certain that it could operate lawfully, consistently, and withstand scrutiny. As the Department’s first General Counsel, Whitley built the Office of General Counsel from a small founding team.

The task reached into every part of the new enterprise: authorities and regulations, personnel and procurement, intelligence and information sharing, border and transportation security, emergency response, litigation, congressional engagement, and the legal questions created when established agencies moved under a new roof. Whitley’s work was the building code and legal footing beneath the visible structure. He helped establish the processes through which leaders could resolve disputes, carry out a vast reorganization, and remain attentive to constitutional limits, statutory responsibilities, and public accountability.”

Click here to read the full class of DHS Trailblazers.