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Law360 (April 20, 2020, 5:08 PM EDT) --
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| Stacy Amin |
Today's perspective comes from Washington, D.C.-based Stacy Cline Amin, chief counsel of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and deputy general counsel of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
What challenges has the pandemic created in your specific area of work?
I serve as chief counsel of the Food and Drug Administration, and we have been on the front lines of responding to the pandemic since January. My days often start at 6 a.m. and are still going past midnight. My work involves litigation, enforcement, regulatory and strategy issues spanning every center and product area at FDA, and on any given day I'm in discussions with FDA and HHS leadership, as well as the White House, Department of Justice and other interagency partners.
So the breadth and range of my work is the same as it usually is, but the focus has been all on COVID-19. FDA is still doing other work and I have deferred to one of my senior deputies to keep that work going, and my other senior deputy has been doing a superb job managing the large and constantly growing legal team that is dedicated to the COVID-19 response.
While the last three months have been the most challenging time in my career, I have found inspiration in the exceptional dedication of my colleagues at FDA. I think we are all getting through this time knowing that this may be the most meaningful work we ever do.
How are you and your family adapting at home?
Some of my colleagues are still going to work and attending meetings in person. But as a lawyer my work can be done by computer and phone, so I work from home.
My husband and I have a three-and-a-half year old daughter and he has done the lion's share of the work keeping her busy. He has a very demanding job as well but it happens to be less focused on COVID-19, so that has provided him more flexibility while my work is nonstop.
I have been creative in relieving him when I can — I'll do conference calls outside while she colors with sidewalk chalk or rides her scooter. I'll do calls while she paints or does a craft project. And we have been allowing her to watch a lot more TV than usual, but we keep it limited to "Sesame Street," "Daniel Tiger" and nature videos. She has gotten used to "Mommy is just always on the phone," but she understands it's temporary and I'm trying to help the sick people she hears about on the news.
What is the most creative or productive response to the crisis you've witnessed so far?
I know everyone is just doing their best during this time and I admire anyone getting through this with their spirits up. One of my friends has been teaching a Zoom Con Law class to a bunch of older elementary kids. I think it's amazing that she's been able to channel her energy on something she loves and turn it into a learning experience for the kids.
In my family we've been very fortunate that we have all been healthy, and for me there have been some positives to this time at home together. One of my favorites is that my daughter can come downstairs to the "work cave" any time and get a hug and a kiss.
The opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organization, its clients, or Portfolio Media Inc., or any of its or their respective affiliates. This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal advice.
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