Jackson Eli Reynolds Professor of Law, Stanford Law School
Ralph Richard Banks is the Jackson Eli Reynolds Professor of Law at Stanford Law School and a professor, by courtesy, at the Stanford Graduate School of Education. He is the Founder and Faculty Director of the Stanford Center for Racial Justice, an initiative that aims to confront and counter the polarization that plagues American society through an analysis of contentious racial issues free from the orthodoxies of Left and Right.
Professor Banks is the co-author of two leading law school casebooks, Racial Justice and the Law: Cases and Materials (2016) (with co-editors Kim Forde-Mazrui, Guy Uriel Charles and Cristina Rodriguez) and Family Law in a Changing America (2nd ed. 2024) (with co-editors Douglas NeJaime, Joanna Grossman, and Suzanne Kim). He is also the author of the trade book Is Marriage for White People? How the African American Marriage Decline affects Everyone (2011; paperback 2012), described by the Los Angeles Times as a “must read,” by the New York Times as “important” and by the Wilson Quarterly (the official publication of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars) as one of the Top Ten Books of 2011. The book has been featured by a wide range of media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Essence magazine, The Village Voice, Time, Newsweek/The Daily Beast, and also NPR (local and national) CNN, ABC News/Nightline, The View, and Fox News, among many others. His forthcoming book, The Big Sort: How College Can Make or Break the American Dream, will be published in 2025.
At Stanford, Professor Banks teaches Constitutional Law, Family Law and a variety of courses related to race, law and inequality. He joined the Stanford faculty in 1998 after clerking for federal judge Barrington D. Parker, serving as the Reginald F. Lewis Fellow at Harvard Law School and practicing law at the law firm O’Melveny & Myers. He graduated from Harvard Law School with honors and received Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Stanford University.
Partner, Consovoy McCarthy PLLC
Thomas R. McCarthy is a partner at Consovoy McCarthy Park PLLC. Mr. McCarthy assists clients with a wide array of issues in federal district and appellate courts across the country. He frequently represents clients in complex litigation involving diverse legal issues arising under the First Amendment, the Equal Protection Clause, the Commerce Clause, and other provisions of the U.S. Constitution. Mr. McCarthy also represents clients in litigation matters involving numerous federal statutes such as the Administrative Procedure Act, the Federal Arbitration Act, the Sherman Act, the Communications Act, the Voting Rights Act, and the Patent Act. He also represents clients with regulatory matters before the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, and various other federal agencies.
Mr. McCarthy is a former law clerk to Judge David B. Sentelle of the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and Judge Frank W. Bullock, Jr. of the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. Since 2011, McCarthy has been the co-director of the George Mason University School of Law Supreme Court Clinic. He previously taught an advanced constitutional law seminar at Mason Law.
Mr. McCarthy earned his BS from the University of Notre Dame, where he was a Notre Dame Scholar, and his JD magna cum laude from George Mason University School of Law. Mr. McCarthy is a member of the Virginia and District of Columbia bars.
Aditi Juneja is the Executive Director of Democracy 2076, an organization founded in 2023 working long-term to change our Constitution, political culture, and political parties. She was most recently Chief of Staff at the Movement Voter Project and previously spent 4 years at Protect Democracy where she led the work of the National Task Force on Election Crises. Her writing has been featured in Vox, NPR, and Talking Points Memo. She received her J.D. from NYU Law School and a B.A. from Connecticut College
Managing Partner, AKP Management
Ayana Parsons is an award-winning leadership expert who founded and runs AKP Management LLC, a business and leadership consultancy for purpose-driven changemakers. In 2024, Ayana was named one of the 100 Most Influential African-Americans by The Root and one of 18 experts closing the racial wealth gap in America by Time Magazine.
In addition to AKP Management, Ayana is Co-Founder of the Fearless Fund, the first venture capital fund created for women of color by women of color. The fund was formed in 2019 to eradicate the racial and gender disparities that exist in venture capital.
Prior to AKP Management and Fearless Fund, Ayana co-founded Yardstick Management alongside her husband, Dr. Ebbie Parsons. Yardstick eventually became the best consulting firm in America (Inc. Magazine), providing organizational strategy support to hundreds of notable clients.
As part of her efforts to advance equity and inclusion at the highest levels, Ayana formerly led Board & CEO Inclusion at Korn Ferry. During her time as a Principal at Heidrick & Struggles, she served as a cabinet member for Stanford University’s Clayman Institute for Gender Research where she provided thought leadership on closing the gender gap in corporate boardrooms and in the executive suite. Prior to Korn Ferry and Heidrick & Struggles, Ayana served as the Global Head of Retail, Consumer Goods, and Lifestyle Industries at the World Economic Forum.
A seasoned corporate executive, Ayana’s industry career spans sales, marketing, strategy and general management roles at several of the world’s most admired companies including Philips, Pfizer, Kimberly-Clark and Procter & Gamble.
With 20+ years of experience as a venture capitalist, organizational consultant, corporate executive and entrepreneur, Ayana leverages her deep expertise in consumer markets, business strategy, general management, enterprise leadership, top team effectiveness, board effectiveness and inclusive talent management to help fuel personal and professional growth and transformation.
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.
Judicial Law Clerk, 31st Circuit Court of Virginia
Peter is a legal professional, receiving his J.D. in 2024 from the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University. He has experience in both the public and private sectors, having worked as a crime analyst for Memphis Police Department, and a geographic information systems analyst for Geomni, a private aerial imaging firm. He also has experience in historical and geopolitical research and analysis, including a peer-reviewed essay on U.S.-Pakistani relations during the Soviet-Afghan War, published in BYU's journal for undergraduate historical research. He is an American patriot and wants to use his analytical skill to serve his nation and community.
Honor Law Graduate Attorney, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Judicial Law Clerk, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
Leo O'Malley graduated, with honors, from the University of Notre Dame School of Law, where he served as a Showcase Team Oralist on the Moot Court Board and the Director of the 2022-23 Religious Freedom Tournament. He recently completed a clerkship with Justice Janine Kern of the South Dakota Supreme Court and is currently clerking on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. He will go on to clerk for the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit during the 2027-28 term.
A National Merit Scholarship Recipient, Leo previously graduated summa cum laude from Wheaton College, IL in 2020, with a BS in Applied Mathematics and a BM in Organ Performance. While in high school, Leo performed on classical violin at a competitive level, being recognized at numerous local and national music competitions and participating in the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras and the Midwest Young Artists Conservatory. In his free time, Leo enjoys reading fantasy novels and experiencing historical architecture. His passion lies in finding innovative and pragmatic solutions to the political, economic, and societal issues facing America in the 21st Century.
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.
Judicial Law Clerk, 31st Circuit Court of Virginia
Peter is a legal professional, receiving his J.D. in 2024 from the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University. He has experience in both the public and private sectors, having worked as a crime analyst for Memphis Police Department, and a geographic information systems analyst for Geomni, a private aerial imaging firm. He also has experience in historical and geopolitical research and analysis, including a peer-reviewed essay on U.S.-Pakistani relations during the Soviet-Afghan War, published in BYU's journal for undergraduate historical research. He is an American patriot and wants to use his analytical skill to serve his nation and community.
Honor Law Graduate Attorney, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Judicial Law Clerk, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
Leo O'Malley graduated, with honors, from the University of Notre Dame School of Law, where he served as a Showcase Team Oralist on the Moot Court Board and the Director of the 2022-23 Religious Freedom Tournament. He recently completed a clerkship with Justice Janine Kern of the South Dakota Supreme Court and is currently clerking on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. He will go on to clerk for the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit during the 2027-28 term.
A National Merit Scholarship Recipient, Leo previously graduated summa cum laude from Wheaton College, IL in 2020, with a BS in Applied Mathematics and a BM in Organ Performance. While in high school, Leo performed on classical violin at a competitive level, being recognized at numerous local and national music competitions and participating in the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras and the Midwest Young Artists Conservatory. In his free time, Leo enjoys reading fantasy novels and experiencing historical architecture. His passion lies in finding innovative and pragmatic solutions to the political, economic, and societal issues facing America in the 21st Century.
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.
Special Projects Officer, National Guard Bureau, Office of the Inspector General; Adjunct Professor, University of Maryland Global Campus
John McGlothlin currently serves as a special projects officer with the National Guard Bureau. His duties include oversight of the investigation of whistleblower allegations and the development and delivery of training on ethics.
John was previously counsel at Cause of Action, a non-profit law firm dedicated to government transparency. He also teaches as an adjunct professor at University of Maryland Global Campus and previously taught an honors seminar at the Virginia Military Institute.
His military career began in intelligence and included deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan along with working across Europe. He then attended the University of Virginia School of Law and transferred to the JAG Corps and to the D.C. National Guard, where he mobilized during the summer 2020 civil unrest and after the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol.
He lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife, the artist MK Bailey, and recently authored his first book, How to Deal with Damn Near Anything – The Paratrooper’s Guide to Life.
He is here today in his personal capacity and his views do not represent the Department of Defense nor any of its components.
Legal Scholar and Solo Practitioner
Jack received his B.A. in History from the University of Virginia in 1977, graduating with Highest Distinction. After graduating Yale Law School in 1980, he served active duty in the U.S. Army's JAG Corps, rising to the rank of Major, where he represented the United States in more than 250 cases.
He practiced for a decade as an Associate for Bradley Arant in Birmingham, Alabama. He proudly served the State of Alabama in the Office of the Attorney General, both as Deputy and Assistant Attorney General, handling complex civil and criminal litigation cases for the people of Alabama. In 2000, he won the "Best Brief Award" from the National Association of Attorneys General for his brief in a case decided by the U.S. Supreme Court, James Alexander v. Martha Sandoval – a case he won. He was Special Assistant to the Inspector General for the Corporation for National and Community Service, Visiting Legal Fellow for the Center for Judicial and Legal Studies for the Heritage Foundation, Of Counsel at Strickland Brockington Lewis, a solo practitioner, and General Counsel for Indigo Energy.
Most recently, he "re-upped" for military service, volunteering his legal services to the Georgia State Defense Force where twice each month he provided legal services for National Guardsmen who were being deployed. He wore his military uniform for the last time in October 2024.
Jack Park passed away on March 16, 2026.
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.
Special Projects Officer, National Guard Bureau, Office of the Inspector General; Adjunct Professor, University of Maryland Global Campus
John McGlothlin currently serves as a special projects officer with the National Guard Bureau. His duties include oversight of the investigation of whistleblower allegations and the development and delivery of training on ethics.
John was previously counsel at Cause of Action, a non-profit law firm dedicated to government transparency. He also teaches as an adjunct professor at University of Maryland Global Campus and previously taught an honors seminar at the Virginia Military Institute.
His military career began in intelligence and included deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan along with working across Europe. He then attended the University of Virginia School of Law and transferred to the JAG Corps and to the D.C. National Guard, where he mobilized during the summer 2020 civil unrest and after the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol.
He lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife, the artist MK Bailey, and recently authored his first book, How to Deal with Damn Near Anything – The Paratrooper’s Guide to Life.
He is here today in his personal capacity and his views do not represent the Department of Defense nor any of its components.
Legal Scholar and Solo Practitioner
Jack received his B.A. in History from the University of Virginia in 1977, graduating with Highest Distinction. After graduating Yale Law School in 1980, he served active duty in the U.S. Army's JAG Corps, rising to the rank of Major, where he represented the United States in more than 250 cases.
He practiced for a decade as an Associate for Bradley Arant in Birmingham, Alabama. He proudly served the State of Alabama in the Office of the Attorney General, both as Deputy and Assistant Attorney General, handling complex civil and criminal litigation cases for the people of Alabama. In 2000, he won the "Best Brief Award" from the National Association of Attorneys General for his brief in a case decided by the U.S. Supreme Court, James Alexander v. Martha Sandoval – a case he won. He was Special Assistant to the Inspector General for the Corporation for National and Community Service, Visiting Legal Fellow for the Center for Judicial and Legal Studies for the Heritage Foundation, Of Counsel at Strickland Brockington Lewis, a solo practitioner, and General Counsel for Indigo Energy.
Most recently, he "re-upped" for military service, volunteering his legal services to the Georgia State Defense Force where twice each month he provided legal services for National Guardsmen who were being deployed. He wore his military uniform for the last time in October 2024.
Jack Park passed away on March 16, 2026.
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.
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.
Raymond & Miriam Ehrlich Chair in US Constitutional Law, University of Florida Levin College of Law
Tracey Maclin is Professor of Law and Raymond & Miriam Ehrlich Eminent Scholar Chair. Prior to joining the University of Florida faculty, he was a professor of law and Joseph Lipsitt Faculty Research Scholar at Boston University School of Law. He has also taught at Cornell Law School, Harvard Law School and the University of Kentucky College of Law. Before entering law teaching, Professor Maclin served as a law clerk to Judge Boyce F. Martin, Jr. of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and worked at Cahill, Gordon & Reindel.
Professor Maclin teaches courses in Constitutional Law and Constitutional Criminal Procedure. He also teaches a seminar on the Supreme Court’s cases in criminal procedure, criminal law, habeas corpus and the death penalty. His scholarship focuses on the Fourth Amendment and the Self-Incrimination Clause of the Fifth Amendment. He has published many law review articles and book chapters on constitutional criminal procedure topics. He is the author of The Supreme Court and the Fourth Amendment’s Exclusionary Rule (Oxford University Press 2013). In addition to his legal scholarship, Professor Maclin has authored over a dozen amicus curiae briefs and served as counsel of record for the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Cato Institute in Fourth Amendment cases in the United States Supreme Court.
Partner, Consovoy McCarthy PLLC
Mr. Norris helps clients win important questions of federal law in trial and appellate courts across the country. He has represented prominent nonprofits, many States, the Republican Party, and the former President of the United States. He has argued in eight of the twelve federal circuits and twice at the U.S. Supreme Court, including the landmark case Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard.
Mr. Norris is barred in Tennessee and Virginia, and is an elected member of the American Law Institute. Mr. Norris lives with his family in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Justice, Florida Supreme Court
On May 23, 2023, Governor Ron DeSantis appointed Justice Meredith L. Sasso to be the 93rd justice of the Supreme Court of Florida.
Justice Sasso was raised in Tallahassee. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Florida in 2005 and her law degree from the University of Florida in 2008, where she was a member of the Justice Campbell Thornal Moot Court Board. She began her career in private practice, representing clients in large loss general liability, auto negligence, and complex commercial claims in state and federal courts at trial and on appeal. She also served as guardian ad litem, representing abused or neglected children.
In August 2016, Justice Sasso joined the Office of the General Counsel to Governor Rick Scott, serving as Chief Deputy General Counsel. In this role, she represented the Governor in litigation before the Florida Supreme Court, the First District Court of Appeal, and state and federal trial courts, among other duties. In January 2019, Governor Rick Scott appointed her to the Fifth District Court of Appeal. Governor Ron DeSantis recommissioned her to the newly created Sixth District Court of Appeal on January 1, 2023, where she was elected by her colleagues to serve as its first Chief Judge.
She is an appointed member of the Florida Bar Appellate Court Rules Committee. She is also a member of the American Enterprise Institute Leadership Network and the Federalist Society.
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.
Raymond & Miriam Ehrlich Chair in US Constitutional Law, University of Florida Levin College of Law
Tracey Maclin is Professor of Law and Raymond & Miriam Ehrlich Eminent Scholar Chair. Prior to joining the University of Florida faculty, he was a professor of law and Joseph Lipsitt Faculty Research Scholar at Boston University School of Law. He has also taught at Cornell Law School, Harvard Law School and the University of Kentucky College of Law. Before entering law teaching, Professor Maclin served as a law clerk to Judge Boyce F. Martin, Jr. of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and worked at Cahill, Gordon & Reindel.
Professor Maclin teaches courses in Constitutional Law and Constitutional Criminal Procedure. He also teaches a seminar on the Supreme Court’s cases in criminal procedure, criminal law, habeas corpus and the death penalty. His scholarship focuses on the Fourth Amendment and the Self-Incrimination Clause of the Fifth Amendment. He has published many law review articles and book chapters on constitutional criminal procedure topics. He is the author of The Supreme Court and the Fourth Amendment’s Exclusionary Rule (Oxford University Press 2013). In addition to his legal scholarship, Professor Maclin has authored over a dozen amicus curiae briefs and served as counsel of record for the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Cato Institute in Fourth Amendment cases in the United States Supreme Court.
Partner, Consovoy McCarthy PLLC
Mr. Norris helps clients win important questions of federal law in trial and appellate courts across the country. He has represented prominent nonprofits, many States, the Republican Party, and the former President of the United States. He has argued in eight of the twelve federal circuits and twice at the U.S. Supreme Court, including the landmark case Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard.
Mr. Norris is barred in Tennessee and Virginia, and is an elected member of the American Law Institute. Mr. Norris lives with his family in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Justice, Florida Supreme Court
On May 23, 2023, Governor Ron DeSantis appointed Justice Meredith L. Sasso to be the 93rd justice of the Supreme Court of Florida.
Justice Sasso was raised in Tallahassee. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Florida in 2005 and her law degree from the University of Florida in 2008, where she was a member of the Justice Campbell Thornal Moot Court Board. She began her career in private practice, representing clients in large loss general liability, auto negligence, and complex commercial claims in state and federal courts at trial and on appeal. She also served as guardian ad litem, representing abused or neglected children.
In August 2016, Justice Sasso joined the Office of the General Counsel to Governor Rick Scott, serving as Chief Deputy General Counsel. In this role, she represented the Governor in litigation before the Florida Supreme Court, the First District Court of Appeal, and state and federal trial courts, among other duties. In January 2019, Governor Rick Scott appointed her to the Fifth District Court of Appeal. Governor Ron DeSantis recommissioned her to the newly created Sixth District Court of Appeal on January 1, 2023, where she was elected by her colleagues to serve as its first Chief Judge.
She is an appointed member of the Florida Bar Appellate Court Rules Committee. She is also a member of the American Enterprise Institute Leadership Network and the Federalist Society.
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.
The Future of DEI: The Case of the Fearless Fund
Ralph Richard Banks, Thomas R. McCarthy, Aditi Juneja, Ayana Parsons, Devon Westhill
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
Peter Abernathy, Samuel Gellen, Leo O'Malley, Anthony Pericolo, Devon Westhill
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
Peter Abernathy, Samuel Gellen, Leo O'Malley, Anthony Pericolo, Devon Westhill
Institutions of higher education released demographic data for their first classes admitted after the Supreme...
Military Academies Litigation After SFFA
John E. McGlothlin, John J. Park, Devon Westhill
Last year, the Supreme Court decided the cases of Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard...
Military Academies Litigation After SFFA
John E. McGlothlin, John J. Park, Devon Westhill
Last year, the Supreme Court decided the cases of Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard...
Disparate Impact: Is Equal Outcome the Same as Equal Opportunity?
Devon Westhill
A Regulatory Transparency Project Fourth Branch Video
Everyone agrees that discriminating against people based on factors like race or sex is wrong....
Topics
The Real Story Behind the Demographic Swings in MIT Admissions
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) became the first highly selective college to release data...
Panel III: Race in Admissions: How SFFA v. Harvard and SFFA v. UNC are Changing Higher Education and the Legal Profession
Tracey Maclin, Cameron T. Norris, Meredith Sasso, Devon Westhill
2024 Florida Chapters Conference
The panel will discuss how these decisions are transforming the admissions process in higher education...
Panel III: Race in Admissions: How SFFA v. Harvard and SFFA v. UNC are Changing Higher Education and the Legal Profession
Tracey Maclin, Cameron T. Norris, Meredith Sasso, Devon Westhill
2024 Florida Chapters Conference
The panel will discuss how these decisions are transforming the admissions process in higher education...
Topics
Nonprofit Center for Equal Opportunity Launches “After Affirmative Action Network”
During the 2023 National Lawyers Convention breakout panel titled SFFA and Beyond, I announced that...