SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD

Surface Transportation Board Chairman Patrick Fuchs today announced that, as part of his on-going, comprehensive agency reform efforts, he has designated Vice Chairman Michelle Schultz to lead a series of informal listening sessions with attorneys who practice before the agency. The purpose of these listening sessions is to hear individual practitioners’ ideas on ways to streamline the Board’s processes and procedures that affect litigants and parties appearing before the agency.

Chairman Fuchs is committed to promoting accountability, transparency, and collaboration to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the STB. To help advance these values, the agency is exploring various strategies to update its processes and to ensure its reform efforts are targeted in ways that will best benefit the public. Vice Chairman Schultz and Board staff will hold a series of group meetings with attorneys who practice before the Board to discuss their experiences as STB practitioners. Vice Chairman Schultz is seeking individual viewpoints and would like to hear practitioners’ ideas on improvements that could be made to the agency’s external processes and procedures.

“During her time on the Board, Vice Chairman Schultz has advocated efficient case administration, reliable deadline adherence, and private sector problem-solving, and I thank her for her leadership and legal acumen in helping launch this streamlining initiative,” said Chairman Fuchs. “I call upon our talented community of legal practitioners to contribute thoughtful ideas for potential process improvements to aid our efforts to deliver timely, effective results for the public.”

“Since his appointment as Chairman in January, Patrick has worked tirelessly to improve efficiency at the Board,” said Vice Chairman Schultz. “I am honored to assist his continued efforts and look forward to hearing the thoughts and views of practitioners who are intimately familiar with the Board’s external processes. A more efficient Board can better serve shippers, railroads, and other stakeholders, and, in advance, I would like to thank all of the attorneys who choose to participate in these listening sessions.”

Sessions will be held in person between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. on May 21 and 22, 2025, at STB headquarters in Washington, D.C. A third session will be held virtually between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. on May 28, 2025. Interested attorneys should contact Michael Small at no later than May 8, 2025, to indicate their interest in participating in a listening session, providing their availability and preference for in-person or virtual. To ensure that participants have sufficient opportunity to present their individual ideas, the number of spaces in each listening session will be limited. The agency will provide confirmation of meeting slots and instructions to participants by May 12, 2025.