2016  |  Inaugural Recipient

Julie M. Kearney

Class of 1998 | Inaugural Recipient

At the time of the award, Julie served as Vice President of Regulatory Affairs for the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). She represented CTA member companies before the FCC and other government agencies. She had been an indispensable member of the CLIAA community. She mentored Institute students and graduates and hired Institute interns and employees. She had been a patron subscriber to the Catholic University Journal of Law and Technology for many years. She served as a Host Committee member and donor to the 2012 and 2016 Milestone Awards. She was a past chair of the FCBA Foundation, served on the FCBA Executive Committee, and was the FCBA President-Elect for the 2016-2017 term. The selection committee noted that her enthusiasm for the Institute and its students was unparalleled. Read the full write-up on Catholic Law’s website →

Rachael Bender

Class of 2010

Rachael Bender is a communications attorney. She served as Wireless Policy Advisor to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, advising on wireless and international issues. Before the FCC, she spent more than five years as Senior Policy Director at Mobile Future, focused on spectrum policy. She has since held senior regulatory affairs roles in the private sector, including at Verizon, where she serves as Vice President and Associate General Counsel for Federal Regulatory and Legal Affairs. She was president of the Communications Law Students Association during her time at Catholic Law and has remained a dedicated contributor to the LTIAA community. Read the full write-up on Catholic Law’s website →

Justin Faulb

Class of 2008

Justin Faulb is Senior Vice President of Policy and General Counsel at NTCA, The Rural Broadband Association. He oversees government affairs, regulatory initiatives, and internal legal affairs. He spent a decade at the Federal Communications Commission in several senior roles. These included Chief of Staff and Legal Advisor for Wireline and National Security to FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks, Associate Bureau Chief of the Wireline Competition Bureau, Designated Federal Officer of the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee, and Special Counsel in the Office of the FCC Chairman. Before the FCC, he served as Assistant General Counsel of the National Association of Broadcasters and practiced at several communications firms. He is an adjunct professor at Catholic Law and an active member of the FCBA Executive Committee. He has been a consistent supporter of Institute students and a contributor to the FCBA Foundation’s education programs. Read the NTCA announcement →

Kathleen A. Kirby

Class of 1991

Kathleen Kirby is a partner at Wiley. She co-chairs the firm’s Telecom, Media and Technology Practice. For more than three decades, she has represented major television and radio broadcasters, programming networks, and media companies. Her work covers regulatory, transactional, First Amendment, and newsgathering matters. She served as President of the Federal Communications Bar Association for the 2024-2025 term. Chambers USA, Best Lawyers in America, and the National Law Journal have all recognized her as one of the nation’s top communications and media law practitioners. She serves as General Counsel of the Radio Television Digital News Association, the Broadcasters Foundation of America, and the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation. She received the BFOA Leadership Award in 2024. Read the full write-up on Catholic Law’s website →

Lee G. Petro

Class of 1997

Lee Petro is a Member in the Communications Law Practice at Dickinson Wright PLLC. He advises broadcast companies, wireless service providers, educational institutions, and consumer product manufacturers on regulatory and transactional matters. He is a former President of the Federal Communications Bar Association. He has contributed to the FCBA’s National Telecommunications Moot Court Competition for more than two decades, helping to draft competition problems and mentoring student competitors from Catholic Law and other law schools. He is also known for an eight-year pro bono campaign, working with twenty nonprofit organizations, to reform prison phone call rates. Read the full write-up on Catholic Law’s website →   Media Justice: Together We Did It →

No award was presented in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Megan Stull

Class of 2003

Megan Stull is a senior regulatory and policy attorney. She served as President of the Federal Communications Bar Association for the 2021-2022 term. At Google, she counseled on legal issues involving consumer electronics, spectrum, accessibility, and video. She subsequently served as Senior Manager for Regulatory Policy and Government Affairs at Apple. She is a member of the Columbus School of Law’s Board of Visitors. She has been a prominent voice on wireless spectrum, broadband policy, and diversity in the communications bar. Read the full write-up on Catholic Law’s website →

Noah Cherry

Class of 2012

Noah Cherry is a communications attorney. He served as Director of Regulatory Counsel at Mangata Networks, working on satellite and space regulatory matters. Earlier in his career, he worked at Cinnamon Mueller and Hogan Lovells. He also served as Director of Government Affairs at WTA, Advocates for Rural Broadband. He has been a consistent contributor to the LTIAA as a panelist, mentor, and supporter of current LTI students. Read the full write-up on Catholic Law’s website →

Patrick Halley

Class of 2010

Patrick Halley is President and CEO of the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA). He graduated magna cum laude from the Columbus School of Law. He won the National Telecommunications Moot Court Competition during his studies. He held several senior roles at the FCC, including legal advisor to an FCC Chairman and Associate Chief of the Wireline Competition Bureau. He was also a partner at Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP, and served in senior leadership at USTelecom. At Catholic Law, he teaches the Telecommunications Practicum and mentors students directly. A recent graduate said: "Patrick embodies the generous spirit of Catholic’s alumni." Read the full write-up on Catholic Law’s website →

Meagan Sunn

Class of 2018

Meagan Sunn is Of Counsel at Ice Miller LLP. Her practice focuses on technology, media, and telecommunications law, regulatory policy, and government affairs. Before joining Ice Miller, she served as Senior Director and Counsel for Public Policy and Government Relations at the Goodfriend Group. She graduated from the Catholic University Columbus School of Law and LTI in 2018. She has been active in the LTIAA since graduation, including serving as co-president. She has championed diversity and inclusion in the communications bar. She hosted the LTIAA’s 2025 Fall Happy Hour at Ice Miller, connecting current students with alumni. Read the full write-up on Catholic Law’s website →