Sue Lawless, most recently the acting deputy administrator and chief safety officer of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, is joining transportation law firm Scopelitis, Garvin, Light, Hanson & Feary.

Lawless will join the firm on or about October 1 and will help lead the Scopelitis firm’s DOT safety practice in conjunction with partners Tim Wiseman and Chris Eckhart.

Wiseman and Eckhart are based in the firm’s Indianapolis office. Lawless will be based out of the Scopelitis Firm’s Washington, D.C., office. There she will join Prasad Sharma, former American Trucking Associations general counsel, and Kim Mann, a past president of the Transportation Lawyers Association.

Lawless replaced Jack Van Steenburg, who retired in 2023 after 15 years with FMCSA.

Prior to serving as the FMCSA’s chief safety officer, Lawless served as the director of FMCSA’s Motor Carrier, Driver, and Vehicle Standards Division. She also formerly served as FMCSA’s Assistant Chief Counsel for Enforcement and Litigation. 

"Sue has been a leader on the front lines in shaping policy and influencing the law within the trucking industry for many years,” Greg Feary said in a news release announcing the move.

“Scopelitis is quite fortunate to gain Sue’s superior foresight, skill, and knowledge,” he added.

Lawless received a Bachelor of Arts degree from McDaniel College and a law degree from the University of Baltimore.