Deborah K. Ross

Representative for North Carolina’s 2nd Congressional District
Fox Rothschild, 2017 – 2020

• J.D., University of North Carolina School of Law, 1990
• B.A., Brown University, 1985

What do you like about your new role as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives?

I took office in January 2021 and could not be happier with my committee assignments and my staff. I’m on the Judiciary Committee and am vice chair of the Constitutional Law and Civil Rights Subcommittee, among others. This is exciting to me because I have spent my entire career focused on civil rights. We recently had a three-hour hearing on hate crimes against Asian Americans, the first time in more than 30 years that Congress has taken action on discrimination against the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. I’m also on the Science, Space and Technology Committee, working on wind power issues. North Carolina has the best capacity for offshore wind of any state in the country, so this work is really in line with what I want to do for my state.

However, the job is definitely different than I pictured when I ran for office, due in large part to the coronavirus and the insurrection at the Capitol. So physically, it’s been difficult to have those face-to-face human connections. My job is almost 100% based on relationships.

Who were your most memorable mentors and how did they shape your career choices?

My high civics teacher, Mrs. Pass, fundamentally shifted the way I felt about my agency in the world. She recognized my abilities and encouraged me to go to law school. I still keep in touch with her.

Another mentor was a partner at my first job out of law school. His office reeked of cigar smoke. He once yelled at me when I asked him a procedural question. I said, “Well, you have two choices. You can either yell at me or explain how this works and I can get this matter closed and taken care of.” It turned out that he’s a wonderful guy. We are friends to this day. He taught me, stuck up for me and was one of my first donors when I ran for public office. I’m fortunate that I’ve had mentors who gave me very complicated assignments, and had faith in me, at a very young age.

What was it like to work at Fox?

There was a lot of cooperation and camaraderie at Fox. I advised clients on legal, regulatory and public policy matters before government agencies and permitting officials, as well as in appeals to state and federal courts. During the last year of my time at Fox, our team helped a lot of clients deal with COVID-19 issues. We helped a Connecticut-based company expand its manufacturing facility in North Carolina. I was able to work across offices to handle multistate issues like this. The lawyers at Fox were really helpful.

What do you like to do when you’re not working?

My husband Steve and I travel back and forth between our home in Raleigh and Washington, D.C. Steve and our dog, Wylie, a deerhound, walk me to work in the morning. I usually do yoga several times a week in online classes.