Post.com General Counsel Joining FCC

Washington Post Digital Vice President and General Counsel Sherrese Smith will join the FCC as legal adviser to chairman Julius Genachowski. Smith's last day with The Washington Post Company is tomorrow. The company announced her departure in an e-mail sent to staffers today. Genachowski named Smith and several other staffers on Monday, his first day on the job.

Washington Post Digital General Counsel Sherrese Smith (Courtesy of Washington Post Digital)

In her role with the parent company of washingtonpost.com, Smith also handled legal matters for The Slate Group, which includes Slate.com, TheRoot.com, TheBigMoney.com and ForeignPolicy.com. Prior to joining WPD, Smith worked on intellectual property issues for the Arnold and Porter law firm.

Smith serves on the board of the American Bar Association's Forum on Communications Law and is a frequent lecturer on media, publishing, Internet and intellectual property issues.

Two other former Washington Post employees have joined the Obama administration: Former Sunday Outlook deputy editor Warren Bass now serves as a senior adviser and speechwriter for U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice and former Post science reporter Rick Weiss left for the Center for American Progress before serving as communications director and senior policy strategist for the White House Office of Science and Technology.

Genachowski was confirmed by the Senate last Thursday. A close friend of President Obama, he also worked on his presidential campaign and helped raise money from the telecommunications sector.