Devon Westhill is the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The U.S. Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s nomination of Westhill on October 7, 2025.
Westhill returns to the USDA where he previously headed the civil rights office as Deputy Assistant Secretary in President Trump’s first term. His previous government appointments also include service at the U.S. Department of Labor, liaison to the Administrative Conference of the U.S., and liaison to the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Prior to returning to government service, Westhill was President and General Counsel of a nonprofit civil rights organization.
Westhill has testified on civil rights matters before Congress, federal agencies, and as an expert witness in federal court. He has spoken hundreds of times at college campuses, conferences, and on radio and TV programs, and he is frequently quoted in print publications, and his writing has appeared in numerous national outlets. A U.S. Navy veteran, Westhill earned his BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his JD from the University of Florida.
*****
A person listed on this page has spoken or otherwise participated in Federalist Society events, publications, or multimedia presentations. A person's appearance on this list does not imply any other endorsement or relationship between the person and the Federalist Society. In most cases, the biographical information on a person's bio page is provided directly by the person, and the Federalist Society does not edit or otherwise endorse that information. The Federalist Society takes no position on particular legal or public policy issues. All expressions of opinion by a speaker or author are those of the individual.
DEI & the Aftermath of Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard - Lecture
Baylor Student Chapter
Baylor Law School, Room 1221114 S University Parks Dr
Waco, TX 76706
Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard: What's Next?
Florida Student Chapter
Holland Hall 360309 Village Dr
Gainesville, FL 32611
Panel I: The Ethics of Considering Race after SFFA v. Harvard
2025 Missouri Chapters Conference
The Missouri Capitol Building201 W Capitol Ave.
Jefferson City, MO 65101
The DEI Dilemma: What’s Next After SFFA and Trump’s Second Term
North Carolina Student Chapter
North Carolina Student Chapter160 Ridge Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
DEI Post Students for Fair Admissions
Campbell Student Chapter
Campbell Law School225 Hillsborough St
raleigh, NC 27603
The Future of DEI: The Case of the Fearless Fund
A Regulatory Transparency Project Fourth Branch Film
In March 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order scaling back federal DEI initiatives, signaling...
New Voices in Civil Rights: How Universities are Responding to SFFA
Institutions of higher education released demographic data for their first classes admitted after the Supreme...
New Voices in Civil Rights: How Universities are Responding to SFFA
Institutions of higher education released demographic data for their first classes admitted after the Supreme...
Military Academies Litigation After SFFA
Last year, the Supreme Court decided the cases of Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard...
Military Academies Litigation After SFFA
Last year, the Supreme Court decided the cases of Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard...