David Bernhardt

David Bernhardt

Senior Counsel

Background

“David Bernhardt was a tough and capable cabinet leader as my Secretary of the Interior. He was a ‘bulldog’ when advancing many of my great achievements at Interior and putting America on the road to energy dominance and deregulation. He pushed very hard to get big results at a historic pace.”—President Donald J. Trump (2023)

David Bernhardt is the only person ever to be confirmed by the U. S. Senate to serve as secretary, deputy secretary and solicitor of the Department of the Interior since it was established in 1849. His career includes roles as an attorney, a public servant and an author.

His experience of engaging at the highest national levels both as the chief legal counsel and leader of federal agencies during the administrations of Donald Trump and George W. Bush, provides a unique foundation to offer insights and to develop strategies to help any organization optimize opportunities and resolve legal and regulatory challenges related to the U.S. government.

While serving as the 53rd secretary of the Department of the Interior, David led the U.S. Cabinet department with an asset portfolio that exceeded $300 billion, a $16 billion annual budget and nearly 70,000 employees through a period of transformational improvement and change. 

A creative problem solver, David focused his efforts on furthering conservation stewardship, expanding opportunities to enhance our nation’s energy independence and dramatically drive transformational regulatory change. Among other duties, he led the Trump administration’s effort to enact the Great American Outdoors Act. President Trump tasked him with playing a key role on initiatives such as addressing the threat to the domestic supply chain from reliance on critical minerals from foreign adversaries. 

Before serving as secretary, David served as deputy secretary at the Interior Department , where he led many significant initiatives ranging from: modernizing business processes related to permitting authorizations and denials; creating and implementing policies and practices to address a systemic culture of harassment in the workplace; dramatically improving the ethics program; and developing one of the most diverse leadership teams in the department’s history.

At the conclusion of the first Trump administration, David returned to Brownstein, where he has provided strategic counsel to a wide range of entities facing challenges from the executive branch. He has spent decades working on cutting-edge matters and controversies related to natural resources development, access and permitting. 

In addition, he has dedicated a sizable portion of his time to furthering sound public policy through efforts such as serving as the chairman of the Center for American Freedom with the America First Policy Institute (AFPI). His memoir titled “YOU REPORT TO ME, Accountability For the Failing Administrative State," which includes a focus on President Trump’s unique approach to federal management, is in its second printing. 

Credentials

Education

  • J.D., The George Washington University Law School, with honors
  • B.A., University of Northern Colorado

Admissions

  • District of Columbia
  • U.S. District Court, District of Columbia
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit