In 1989, he graduated second in his class, magna cum laude, Order of the Coif, from the Northwestern University School of Law.

Connaughton lobbied government on Superfund for organizations including Atlantic Richfield, the Chemical Manufacturers Association, the Aluminum Company of America.

[3][5] Connaughton coordinated the Cabinet-level committee addressing climate change and energy security policy.

Connaughton helped establish the Major Economies Leaders Meetings on Energy and Climate, acting as Bush's personal representative.

[9] From March 2013 – February 2016, Connaughton was the Executive Vice President at C3 IoT, a company that "applies the power of big data, advanced analytics, social networking, machine learning, and cloud computing to improve the safety, reliability, and efficiency of power generation and delivery".