Published on
By Anna Sago
For Bradley Craigmyle ‘17, attending Mizzou Law was, at first, a question of value. As his legal career has continued, he has realized the true value of that choice.
In February, Craigmyle was appointed to be Deputy General Counsel for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the federal agency that regulates communications by radio, television, wire and cable. He oversees all of the agency’s litigation
Prior to that role, he worked as an attorney in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Department of Justice. Throughout his career, he has focused on administrative law. That interest was initially sparked during his time as a law student through courses taught by Professor Erika Lietzan.
“I had an open mind, looking for things that might be interesting through the courses at Mizzou. So I came to administrative law fresh, and just really enjoyed the subject matter,” Craigmyle said. “It often involves structural (and other) constitutional issues; what I would call law nerd questions.”
That interest in thorny legal questions is what ultimately led him to multiple federal clerkships. Craigmyle worked for Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr., and Judge Stephen R. Clark, both of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri and for Judge Gerald Bard Tjoflat of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
Craigmyle said the connections he made with professors, particularly Lietzan, helped him secure coveted positions working for federal judges. He also credited Professor Thom Lambert’s mentorship as fundamentally shaping the trajectory of his career, emphasizing that Lambert has been a critical mentor throughout.
“Thom really took me under his wing in law school. He has constantly encouraged me to consider opportunities that may seem out of reach. There’s not a job I’ve taken without first talking to him. When I say Mizzou Law is chock full of good people—and it is—Thom is the first person who comes to mind.”
On his path to clerking, Craigmyle said that “Mizzou had a great reputation. I think that was probably important for Judge Limbaugh, he knew the school, he knew some of the people at the law school, I think that may well have factored into his decision.”
“Then with Judge Tjoflat, it was one of his former clerks who recommended me, Professor Lietzan, so the connection there was really tight, somebody he knew and trusted, who was at Mizzou, pushing a Mizzou student forward,” he said. “I wouldn’t have had that opportunity if it hadn’t been for her willingness to put her name on the line and to push me forward.”
During his time as a student, he also learned transferable managerial skills and honed his writing through working as the editor-in-chief of the Missouri Law review, publishing an article about legal ethics and discipline.
“The Law Review was one of the most meaningful experiences I had in law school, and I think for a couple of reasons. One was being part of the group that chose the articles that we published. That’s an important function in the academy,” Craigmyle said. “And then there was also the running the organization piece of it. That was the first time I oversaw an organization, and it was just a very practical and useful exercise.”
His interest in leadership, administrative law and challenging legal questions ultimately led him to his current role, where he manages the team of lawyers that handle appellate work for the FCC.
“Most of our litigation here at the FCC is in the Court of Appeals, and that’s the type of work that I find most interesting, really,” he said. “So I’m really excited to be taking on a new role while doing the type of work that I most enjoy.”