Partner, Phelps Dunbar LLP
Mike Hurst is a partner with Phelps Dunbar LLP where he optimizes his in-depth knowledge of the court system, investigative and prosecutorial agencies, the regulatory arena, and the public policy realm to help clients facing government investigations, enforcement actions, regulatory matters, general litigation and policy issues. Mike currently serves as the General Counsel of the Republican National Committee and as Chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party. He previously served as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi from 2017-2021, and with over 20 years of experience before judges, juries and policy makers, handling some of the largest and most high-profile cases in Mississippi, he's known for untangling the most complex legal issues.
As U.S. Attorney, Mike was described as a “hard charger,” leading efforts to combat violent crime, human trafficking and public corruption, among many other issues, throughout Mississippi. He almost tripled prosecutions in the U.S. Attorney’s Office over a three-year period, resulting in the most indictments and federal defendants indicted in a one-year period in Mississippi history. He created innovative and national award-winning crime-fighting solutions, like “Project EJECT,” and he established the first statewide, multilevel and multidisciplinary human trafficking body, the Mississippi Human Trafficking Council, to comprehensively and holistically address this criminal scourge.
During his tenure as U.S. Attorney, Mike oversaw some of the biggest cases in Mississippi history: the largest health care fraud scheme (Wade Walters, et. al.), the largest Ponzi scheme (Lamar Adams), the largest False Claims Act health care fraud settlement (Region 8), and the largest nursing home False Claim Act settlement (Hyperion). In addition, as Chief Federal Law Enforcement Officer for the Southern District, Mike coordinated the largest single-state immigration worksite enforcement operation in our nation’s history, involving hundreds of federal law enforcement agents covering seven different locations operated by multiple companies.
Mike’s no show pony – he’s a work horse. Before his tenure as U.S. Attorney, Mike was an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi for more than eight years. He handled some of the most difficult and complex cases in that office, dealing with white collar crimes, public corruption and financial fraud, including numerous jury trials before almost every federal judge in the Southern District.
He also has experience in the private sector. He has practiced law in Washington, D.C., and has served as a litigator and general counsel for a conservative nonprofit. He also has extensive experience in public policy, having served as the Legislative Director to a U.S. Congressman and as Counsel to the House Judiciary Committee.
Mike has also testified before both the United States Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives on issues ranging from crime to Presidential pardons. He has worked on all sides of the legal, regulatory, investigative, prosecutorial and policy spectrum. The incredible insight gained from this varied experience enables him to find a path forward for clients, no matter how complicated the case.
Partner, Phelps Dunbar LLP
Mike Hurst is a partner with Phelps Dunbar LLP where he optimizes his in-depth knowledge of the court system, investigative and prosecutorial agencies, the regulatory arena, and the public policy realm to help clients facing government investigations, enforcement actions, regulatory matters, general litigation and policy issues. Mike currently serves as the General Counsel of the Republican National Committee and as Chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party. He previously served as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi from 2017-2021, and with over 20 years of experience before judges, juries and policy makers, handling some of the largest and most high-profile cases in Mississippi, he's known for untangling the most complex legal issues.
As U.S. Attorney, Mike was described as a “hard charger,” leading efforts to combat violent crime, human trafficking and public corruption, among many other issues, throughout Mississippi. He almost tripled prosecutions in the U.S. Attorney’s Office over a three-year period, resulting in the most indictments and federal defendants indicted in a one-year period in Mississippi history. He created innovative and national award-winning crime-fighting solutions, like “Project EJECT,” and he established the first statewide, multilevel and multidisciplinary human trafficking body, the Mississippi Human Trafficking Council, to comprehensively and holistically address this criminal scourge.
During his tenure as U.S. Attorney, Mike oversaw some of the biggest cases in Mississippi history: the largest health care fraud scheme (Wade Walters, et. al.), the largest Ponzi scheme (Lamar Adams), the largest False Claims Act health care fraud settlement (Region 8), and the largest nursing home False Claim Act settlement (Hyperion). In addition, as Chief Federal Law Enforcement Officer for the Southern District, Mike coordinated the largest single-state immigration worksite enforcement operation in our nation’s history, involving hundreds of federal law enforcement agents covering seven different locations operated by multiple companies.
Mike’s no show pony – he’s a work horse. Before his tenure as U.S. Attorney, Mike was an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi for more than eight years. He handled some of the most difficult and complex cases in that office, dealing with white collar crimes, public corruption and financial fraud, including numerous jury trials before almost every federal judge in the Southern District.
He also has experience in the private sector. He has practiced law in Washington, D.C., and has served as a litigator and general counsel for a conservative nonprofit. He also has extensive experience in public policy, having served as the Legislative Director to a U.S. Congressman and as Counsel to the House Judiciary Committee.
Mike has also testified before both the United States Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives on issues ranging from crime to Presidential pardons. He has worked on all sides of the legal, regulatory, investigative, prosecutorial and policy spectrum. The incredible insight gained from this varied experience enables him to find a path forward for clients, no matter how complicated the case.
Chief Policy Counsel, Council on Criminal Justice and Senior Advisor, Right on Crime
Marc A. Levin is the Chief Policy Counsel for the Council on Criminal Justice (counciloncj.org) and Senior Advisor for Right on Crime.
An attorney and accomplished author on legal and public policy issues, Marc began the Foundation’s criminal justice program in 2005. This work contributed to nationally praised policy changes that have been followed by dramatic declines in crime and incarceration in Texas. Building on this success, in 2010, Levin developed the concept for the Right on Crime initiative, a TPPF project in partnership with Prison Fellowship and the American Conservative Union Foundation. Right on Crime has become the national clearinghouse for conservative criminal justice reforms and has contributed to the adoption of policies in dozens of states that fight crime, support victims, and protect taxpayers.
In 2014, Levin was named one of the “Politico 50” in the magazine’s annual “list of thinkers, doers, and dreamers who really matter in this age of gridlock and dysfunction.”
Marc has testified on criminal justice policy on four occasions before Congress and has testified before legislatures in states including Texas, Nevada, Kansas, Wisconsin, and California. He also has met personally with leaders such as U.S. Presidents, Speakers of the House, and the Justice Commtitee of the United Kingdom Parliament to share his ideas on criminal justice reform. In 2007, he was honored in a resolution unanimously passed by the Texas House of Representatives that stated, “Mr. Levin’s intellect is unparalleled and his research is impeccable.”
Since 2005, Marc has published dozens of policy papers on topics such as sentencing, probation, parole, reentry, and overcriminalization which are available on the TPPF website. Levin’s articles on law and public policy have been featured in publications such as the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Texas Review of Law & Politics, National Law Journal, New York Daily News, Jerusalem Post, Toronto Star, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Philadelphia Inquirer, San Francisco Chronicle, Washington Times, Los Angeles Daily Journal, Charlotte Observer, Dallas Morning News, Houston Chronicle, Austin American-Statesman, San Antonio Express-News and Reason Magazine.
In 1999, Marc graduated with honors from the University of Texas with a B.A. in Plan II Honors and Government. In 2002, Marc received his J.D. with honors from the University of Texas School of Law. Marc was a Charles G. Koch Summer Fellow in 1996. He served as a law clerk to Judge Will Garwood on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and Staff Attorney at the Texas Supreme Court.
Bureau Chief of the Legal Affairs Unit, Albany County District Attorney’s Office
Vincent Stark is Bureau Chief of the Legal Affairs Unit at the Albany County District Attorney’s Office in Upstate New York. His practice primarily deals with appeals, post-conviction remedies, and sealing and expungement.
Vincent received his juris doctorate cum laude from the University of Notre Dame Law School, where he served as Executive Editor of the Journal of Legislation. He received his bachelor’s degree in Political Science magna cum laude from Syracuse University. After law school he served as a legislative fellow in the New York State Senate before joining the District Attorney’s Office. His published works have appeared in the Albany Law Review and the Georgetown Journal of Gender and the Law, and he has frequently taught classes and CLEs on criminal law, legal research and writing, and sealing and expungement programs to support the re-entry of convicts into society.
Attorney, Institute for Justice
Marie Miller is an attorney with the Institute for Justice. Her practice focuses on protecting economic liberty, property rights, and educational choice.
Marie received her law degree from Indiana University’s Maurer School of Law. She received her undergraduate degree in music from the University of Notre Dame. And she holds masters degrees in music, from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, and public affairs, from Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs. After law school, Marie clerked for Chief Justice Loretta H. Rush of the Indiana Supreme Court and for Judge Michael S. Kanne of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
Legal Fellow, Center for Constitutional Studies, Cato Institute
Brent Skorup is a legal fellow in the Cato Institute’s Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies.
Before joining Cato, he was a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at the George Mason University. His research areas include free speech, technology law, Fourth Amendment protections, regulation, and property law. Skorup has published pieces in economics and law journals and in popular media, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Bloomberg Law, Reuters, and Wired. He’s appeared as a TV and radio interview guest for news outlets like C‑SPAN, NPR, CBS News, ABC News, and CNBC Asia.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court, a dissenting opinion at the Illinois Supreme Court, and the ALI's Restatement of the Law of Property have cited his legal research and he has testified as a technology and legal expert in legislative hearings in several states. Skorup has been appointed to several federal and state advisory bodies and he is currently a member of the Texas Advanced Air Mobility Advisory Committee.
Skorup has a BA in economics from Wheaton College and a law degree from the George Mason University School of Law, where he was articles editor for the Civil Rights Law Journal. He was a legal clerk at the FCC’s wireless bureau and Office of General Counsel and at the Energy and Commerce Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Governor, State of Arizona
Governor Doug Ducey was elected as Arizona's 23rd governor in 2014 and re-elected in 2018 with more votes than anyone in state history. Upon election, Arizona had a $1 billion deficit and a sluggish economy. Today, Arizona has a record surplus, a balanced budget and a booming economy.
That’s no coincidence. Governor Ducey has eliminated overburdensome regulations, fostered the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs, and reformed taxes every year he’s been in office—including signing the largest income tax cut in state history.
Throughout his administration, Governor Ducey has prioritized education. Since he took office, Arizona has invested over $8 billion into K-12 education and brought per-pupil funding to a record high. He has also positioned Arizona as a national leader in school choice and civics education.
Even with record investments and historic tax cuts, Governor Ducey has found a way to ensure Arizona’s insulated from future downturns, adding $1 billion to the state’s Rainy Day Fund.
He is a former businessman and CEO of Cold Stone Creamery who today also serves as Chairman of the Republican Governors Association. He has 3 sons, has been married to his wife Angela for 31 years and resides in Paradise Valley, Arizona.
Senior Fellow, R Street Institute
Prior to R Street, Adam spent 12 years as a senior fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Before the Mercatus Center, he served as the president of the Progress and Freedom Foundation. Adam has also worked for the Adam Smith Institute, the Heritage Foundation and the Cato Institute.
Adam has published 10 books on a wide range of topics, including online child safety, internet governance, intellectual property, telecommunications policy, media regulation and federalism.
In 2008, Adam received the Family Online Safety Institute’s “Award for Outstanding Achievement.”
Judge, United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
Judge Edith Clement sits on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Judge Clement worked in a private practice as a maritime attorney in New Orleans, Louisiana, before being appointed in 1991 to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana by President George H. W. Bush. In 2001, she was appointed by President George W. Bush to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Judge Clement is a member of the Maritime Law Association of the United States, the Federal Bar Association, the American Law Institute, the Federalist Society, the Tulane Law Schools Inn of Court, and the Committee on the Administrative Office of the Judicial Conference of the United States. She is a graduate of the University of Alabama and received her JD from Tulane Law School.
Partner, Montgomery Barnett
Harvey Charles Koch, Jr, a native of Hammond La. and a resident of New Orleans for 80 years, was born on August 15, 1934, and died peacefully on July 13, 2020, from cancer at age 85.
Mr. Koch's practice included complex commercial litigation, litigation management, insurance coverage and extra-contractual defense litigation, the construction process, construction litigation and arbitration, contract interpretation, sports and entertainment law, fidelity, surety and financial institution bonds, lawyer's malpractice, errors and omissions, life and long term care and fine arts coverages.
Mr. Koch participated in negotiations in Egypt after the Yom Kippur War leading to removal of ships sunk in the Suez Canal; represented a consortium of companies involved in reconstructing Kuwait and its oil fields after Operation Desert Storm; represented a major international insurance company in developing indemnity agreements, construction bonds, and guarantees for use with contractors in twelve foreign countries; represented the lead insurer in the adjustment of the business interruption claims of the Titan IV rockets manufacturer when the solid rocket fuel manufacturing plant supplying that missile program was destroyed in an explosion. And Mr. Koch has defended parties in complex litigation involving nuclear power and fossil fuel plants; the shipping industry; the former Louisiana Sunday Closing laws; and the resurfacing of both runways of the New Orleans International Airport (MSY) in the 1980's. Mr. Koch currently represents the international construction management firm managing all construction at the New Orleans Louis Armstrong International Airport (MSY).
As an appellate practitioner, Mr. Koch briefed the United States Supreme Court on the Insurance Industry's position on coverage issues regarding the Security Dealer's Blanket Bond, and the New Zealand Supreme Court on the interpretation by United States Courts on coverage issues related to the Financial Institution Bond.
Mr. Koch was listed in Best Lawyers in America (Construction), was a Fellow of the American College of Construction Lawyers (Founder and Former Chair of its Insurance Industry Committee and a former member of its Board of Governors), and was a consultative member of the American Law Institute. Mr. Koch chaired the American Bar Association's Fidelity and Surety Law Committee, Co-Chaired the ABA's first three National Institutes of the Forum on the Construction Industry, chaired six ABA National Law Institutes, founded and served as first Chair of the Louisiana Bar Association's Section on Construction, Fidelity and Surety Law, served as a Vice Chair of the Fidelity and Surety Law Committee of the International Association of Defense Counsel, served on both the Surety Claims Institute Board of Governors and the Advisory Council of the Chief Judge of the Court of Federal Claims in Washington, D.C., was a Trustee of the Federalist Society, was a member of the National Bond Claims Association, was one of the four Advisors Emeritus of the Fidelity Law Association and was a Life Fellow of both the American and Louisiana Bar Foundations.
Justice, Louisiana Supreme Court
Harry Thomas Lemmon was a Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court from May 16, 1980 to May 16, 2001. Born in Morgan City, Louisiana, Lemmon graduated from Morgan City High School in 1948, and from the University of Southwestern Louisiana in 1952. After briefly working as a chemist for American Oil Company, he served in the United States Army Chemical Corps in the Korean War. He graduated from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law in 1963, and was in private practice from then until 1970.
Ronald Reagan Distinguished Fellow Emeritus, The Heritage Foundation
Edwin Meese III, the prominent conservative leader, thinker and elder statesman, continues a quarter-century formal association with The Heritage Foundation as the leading think tank’s Ronald Reagan Distinguished Fellow Emeritus.
In that capacity, Meese oversees special projects and acts as an ambassador for Heritage within the conservative movement.
Meese was chairman of Heritage’s Center for Legal and Judicial Studies from its founding in 2001 until what he calls his “semi-retirement” on Feb. 1, 2013.
He joined Heritage in 1988 as the think tank's first Ronald Reagan Distinguished Fellow -- the only policy chair in the country to be officially named for the 40th president. His work focused on keeping President Reagan’s legacy of conservative principles alive in public debate and discourse.
The legal center now bears his name, in recognition of Meese’s contributions to the rule of law and the nation’s understanding of constitutional law. Its mission is to educate government officials, the media and the public about the Constitution and legal principles -- and how they affect public policy.
Perhaps best known as U.S. attorney general during Reagan’s second term, Meese’s service to the conservative icon stretched from the California governor’s mansion in 1966 to the White House in 1981 before he went to the Department of Justice four years later.
His Heritage “hats” kept Meese among the major conservative voices in national policy debates at an age when most men and women enjoyed quiet retirements.
In 2006, for example, Meese was named to the Iraq Study Group, a special presidential commission dedicated to examining the best resolutions for America's involvement in Iraq. In the past few years he wrote and spoke about constitutional topics ranging from religious liberty to the responsibility of Supreme Court justices.
Immediately after Reagan's death in 2004, and in the years since, Meese often agreed to major media appearances to discuss the lasting impact of his old friend, mentor and boss. He has summarized the Reagan legacy in three accomplishments: Reagan cut taxes and kept them low. He worked to defeat and end the Soviet Union and its worldwide push for communism. And he restored America's faith in itself after years of failure and "malaise."
"I admired him as a leader and cherish his friendship," Meese wrote in a 2004 essay for Heritage members and supporters. "Ronald Reagan had strong convictions. He was committed to the principles that had led to the founding of our nation. And he had the courage to follow his convictions against all odds." <[>Edwin Meese III was born Dec. 2, 1931, to Edwin Jr. and Leone Meese in Oakland, Calif. He graduated from Yale University in 1953 and holds a law degree from the University of California-Berkeley.
Meese spent much of his adult life working for Reagan, first after the former actor, sports announcer and athlete was elected as California’s governor in 1966 and then when he sought and won the presidency in 1980.
Reagan never forgot Meese's loyalty and hard work. During a press conference at which reporters questioned Meese's actions at the Justice Department, Reagan replied: "If Ed Meese is not a good man, there are no good men."
During the Reagan governorship, Meese served as executive assistant and chief of staff from 1969 through 1974 and as legal affairs secretary from 1967 through 1968. He previously was deputy district attorney in Alameda County, Calif.
From January 1981 to February 1985, Meese held the position of counsellor to the president -- the senior job on the White House staff -- and functioned as Reagan's chief policy adviser. In 1985, he received Government Executive magazine's annual award for excellence in management.
Meese served as the 75th attorney general of the United States from February 1985 to August 1988. As the nation's chief law enforcement officer, he directed the Justice Department and led international efforts to combat terrorism, drug trafficking and organized crime.
Meese’s relationship with Heritage began when he met with senior management to discuss the think tank's landmark policy guide, Mandate for Leadership, prepared for the incoming administration. Meese later recalled that Reagan personally handed out copies of the 1,093-page book to members of his Cabinet and asked them to read it. Nearly two-thirds of Mandate's 2,000 recommendations would be adopted or attempted by the Reagan administration.
More than a decade after joining Heritage, Meese assumed the chairmanship of its Center for Legal and Judicial Studies. Under his guidance, the center counseled White House staffers, Justice Department officials and Senate Judiciary Committee members on the importance of filling judicial vacancies with qualified men and women who are committed to interpreting the Constitution according to the founding document's original meaning.
The center became known for hosting "moot court" practice sessions to sharpen the arguments of attorneys slated to bring important cases before the Supreme Court. Those cases addressed constitutional issues ranging from property rights to racial preferences in primary and secondary schools to restrictions on free speech in campaign finance law.
Meese headed the legal center's Advisory Board for the writing and editing of the best-selling book, The Heritage Guide to the Constitution (Regnery, 2005). In it, 109 experts walked readers through a clause-by-clause analysis of the Constitution. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) was among those keeping the reference work handy during Judiciary Committee hearings on Supreme Court nominees.
Meese's other books include “Leadership, Ethics and Policing” (Prentice Hall, 2004); “Making America Safer” (Heritage, 1997); and “With Reagan: The Inside Story” (Regnery Gateway, 1992).He wrote the Introduction to a well-received 2010 book on the “overcriminalization” trend, “One Nation Under Arrest,” by Heritage veterans Paul Rosenzweig and Brian W. Walsh.
He also is a distinguished visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University in California and lectures, writes and consults throughout the United States on a variety of subjects.
As both attorney general and counsellor to Reagan, Meese was a member of the Cabinet and the National Security Council. He served as chairman of the Domestic Policy Council and the National Drug Policy Board. After Reagan won the White House in the 1980 election, Meese headed the transition team. During the campaign, he was the Reagan-Bush Committee's senior official.
Meese had a career outside government and politics. From 1977 to 1981, he was a law professor at the University of San Diego, where he also directed the Center for Criminal Justice Policy and Management.
He was an executive in the aerospace and transportation industry as vice president for administration of Rohr Industries Inc. in Chula Vista, Calif. He left Rohr to return to the practice of law, doing corporate and general work in San Diego County.
A retired colonel in the Army Reserve, Meese remains active in numerous civic and educational organizations.
He and his wife, Ursula, have two grown children and reside in McLean, Va.
Judge, United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
Judge Edith Clement sits on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Judge Clement worked in a private practice as a maritime attorney in New Orleans, Louisiana, before being appointed in 1991 to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana by President George H. W. Bush. In 2001, she was appointed by President George W. Bush to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Judge Clement is a member of the Maritime Law Association of the United States, the Federal Bar Association, the American Law Institute, the Federalist Society, the Tulane Law Schools Inn of Court, and the Committee on the Administrative Office of the Judicial Conference of the United States. She is a graduate of the University of Alabama and received her JD from Tulane Law School.
Partner, Montgomery Barnett
Harvey Charles Koch, Jr, a native of Hammond La. and a resident of New Orleans for 80 years, was born on August 15, 1934, and died peacefully on July 13, 2020, from cancer at age 85.
Mr. Koch's practice included complex commercial litigation, litigation management, insurance coverage and extra-contractual defense litigation, the construction process, construction litigation and arbitration, contract interpretation, sports and entertainment law, fidelity, surety and financial institution bonds, lawyer's malpractice, errors and omissions, life and long term care and fine arts coverages.
Mr. Koch participated in negotiations in Egypt after the Yom Kippur War leading to removal of ships sunk in the Suez Canal; represented a consortium of companies involved in reconstructing Kuwait and its oil fields after Operation Desert Storm; represented a major international insurance company in developing indemnity agreements, construction bonds, and guarantees for use with contractors in twelve foreign countries; represented the lead insurer in the adjustment of the business interruption claims of the Titan IV rockets manufacturer when the solid rocket fuel manufacturing plant supplying that missile program was destroyed in an explosion. And Mr. Koch has defended parties in complex litigation involving nuclear power and fossil fuel plants; the shipping industry; the former Louisiana Sunday Closing laws; and the resurfacing of both runways of the New Orleans International Airport (MSY) in the 1980's. Mr. Koch currently represents the international construction management firm managing all construction at the New Orleans Louis Armstrong International Airport (MSY).
As an appellate practitioner, Mr. Koch briefed the United States Supreme Court on the Insurance Industry's position on coverage issues regarding the Security Dealer's Blanket Bond, and the New Zealand Supreme Court on the interpretation by United States Courts on coverage issues related to the Financial Institution Bond.
Mr. Koch was listed in Best Lawyers in America (Construction), was a Fellow of the American College of Construction Lawyers (Founder and Former Chair of its Insurance Industry Committee and a former member of its Board of Governors), and was a consultative member of the American Law Institute. Mr. Koch chaired the American Bar Association's Fidelity and Surety Law Committee, Co-Chaired the ABA's first three National Institutes of the Forum on the Construction Industry, chaired six ABA National Law Institutes, founded and served as first Chair of the Louisiana Bar Association's Section on Construction, Fidelity and Surety Law, served as a Vice Chair of the Fidelity and Surety Law Committee of the International Association of Defense Counsel, served on both the Surety Claims Institute Board of Governors and the Advisory Council of the Chief Judge of the Court of Federal Claims in Washington, D.C., was a Trustee of the Federalist Society, was a member of the National Bond Claims Association, was one of the four Advisors Emeritus of the Fidelity Law Association and was a Life Fellow of both the American and Louisiana Bar Foundations.
Justice, Louisiana Supreme Court
Harry Thomas Lemmon was a Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court from May 16, 1980 to May 16, 2001. Born in Morgan City, Louisiana, Lemmon graduated from Morgan City High School in 1948, and from the University of Southwestern Louisiana in 1952. After briefly working as a chemist for American Oil Company, he served in the United States Army Chemical Corps in the Korean War. He graduated from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law in 1963, and was in private practice from then until 1970.
Ronald Reagan Distinguished Fellow Emeritus, The Heritage Foundation
Edwin Meese III, the prominent conservative leader, thinker and elder statesman, continues a quarter-century formal association with The Heritage Foundation as the leading think tank’s Ronald Reagan Distinguished Fellow Emeritus.
In that capacity, Meese oversees special projects and acts as an ambassador for Heritage within the conservative movement.
Meese was chairman of Heritage’s Center for Legal and Judicial Studies from its founding in 2001 until what he calls his “semi-retirement” on Feb. 1, 2013.
He joined Heritage in 1988 as the think tank's first Ronald Reagan Distinguished Fellow -- the only policy chair in the country to be officially named for the 40th president. His work focused on keeping President Reagan’s legacy of conservative principles alive in public debate and discourse.
The legal center now bears his name, in recognition of Meese’s contributions to the rule of law and the nation’s understanding of constitutional law. Its mission is to educate government officials, the media and the public about the Constitution and legal principles -- and how they affect public policy.
Perhaps best known as U.S. attorney general during Reagan’s second term, Meese’s service to the conservative icon stretched from the California governor’s mansion in 1966 to the White House in 1981 before he went to the Department of Justice four years later.
His Heritage “hats” kept Meese among the major conservative voices in national policy debates at an age when most men and women enjoyed quiet retirements.
In 2006, for example, Meese was named to the Iraq Study Group, a special presidential commission dedicated to examining the best resolutions for America's involvement in Iraq. In the past few years he wrote and spoke about constitutional topics ranging from religious liberty to the responsibility of Supreme Court justices.
Immediately after Reagan's death in 2004, and in the years since, Meese often agreed to major media appearances to discuss the lasting impact of his old friend, mentor and boss. He has summarized the Reagan legacy in three accomplishments: Reagan cut taxes and kept them low. He worked to defeat and end the Soviet Union and its worldwide push for communism. And he restored America's faith in itself after years of failure and "malaise."
"I admired him as a leader and cherish his friendship," Meese wrote in a 2004 essay for Heritage members and supporters. "Ronald Reagan had strong convictions. He was committed to the principles that had led to the founding of our nation. And he had the courage to follow his convictions against all odds." <[>Edwin Meese III was born Dec. 2, 1931, to Edwin Jr. and Leone Meese in Oakland, Calif. He graduated from Yale University in 1953 and holds a law degree from the University of California-Berkeley.
Meese spent much of his adult life working for Reagan, first after the former actor, sports announcer and athlete was elected as California’s governor in 1966 and then when he sought and won the presidency in 1980.
Reagan never forgot Meese's loyalty and hard work. During a press conference at which reporters questioned Meese's actions at the Justice Department, Reagan replied: "If Ed Meese is not a good man, there are no good men."
During the Reagan governorship, Meese served as executive assistant and chief of staff from 1969 through 1974 and as legal affairs secretary from 1967 through 1968. He previously was deputy district attorney in Alameda County, Calif.
From January 1981 to February 1985, Meese held the position of counsellor to the president -- the senior job on the White House staff -- and functioned as Reagan's chief policy adviser. In 1985, he received Government Executive magazine's annual award for excellence in management.
Meese served as the 75th attorney general of the United States from February 1985 to August 1988. As the nation's chief law enforcement officer, he directed the Justice Department and led international efforts to combat terrorism, drug trafficking and organized crime.
Meese’s relationship with Heritage began when he met with senior management to discuss the think tank's landmark policy guide, Mandate for Leadership, prepared for the incoming administration. Meese later recalled that Reagan personally handed out copies of the 1,093-page book to members of his Cabinet and asked them to read it. Nearly two-thirds of Mandate's 2,000 recommendations would be adopted or attempted by the Reagan administration.
More than a decade after joining Heritage, Meese assumed the chairmanship of its Center for Legal and Judicial Studies. Under his guidance, the center counseled White House staffers, Justice Department officials and Senate Judiciary Committee members on the importance of filling judicial vacancies with qualified men and women who are committed to interpreting the Constitution according to the founding document's original meaning.
The center became known for hosting "moot court" practice sessions to sharpen the arguments of attorneys slated to bring important cases before the Supreme Court. Those cases addressed constitutional issues ranging from property rights to racial preferences in primary and secondary schools to restrictions on free speech in campaign finance law.
Meese headed the legal center's Advisory Board for the writing and editing of the best-selling book, The Heritage Guide to the Constitution (Regnery, 2005). In it, 109 experts walked readers through a clause-by-clause analysis of the Constitution. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) was among those keeping the reference work handy during Judiciary Committee hearings on Supreme Court nominees.
Meese's other books include “Leadership, Ethics and Policing” (Prentice Hall, 2004); “Making America Safer” (Heritage, 1997); and “With Reagan: The Inside Story” (Regnery Gateway, 1992).He wrote the Introduction to a well-received 2010 book on the “overcriminalization” trend, “One Nation Under Arrest,” by Heritage veterans Paul Rosenzweig and Brian W. Walsh.
He also is a distinguished visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University in California and lectures, writes and consults throughout the United States on a variety of subjects.
As both attorney general and counsellor to Reagan, Meese was a member of the Cabinet and the National Security Council. He served as chairman of the Domestic Policy Council and the National Drug Policy Board. After Reagan won the White House in the 1980 election, Meese headed the transition team. During the campaign, he was the Reagan-Bush Committee's senior official.
Meese had a career outside government and politics. From 1977 to 1981, he was a law professor at the University of San Diego, where he also directed the Center for Criminal Justice Policy and Management.
He was an executive in the aerospace and transportation industry as vice president for administration of Rohr Industries Inc. in Chula Vista, Calif. He left Rohr to return to the practice of law, doing corporate and general work in San Diego County.
A retired colonel in the Army Reserve, Meese remains active in numerous civic and educational organizations.
He and his wife, Ursula, have two grown children and reside in McLean, Va.
Judge, United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio
Judge J. Philip Calabrese was confirmed to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio in December 2020. Previously, he served on the State trial court in the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas. Before taking the bench, he had a complex litigation practice for nearly two decades and was a partner at what is now Squire Patton Boggs and at Porter, Wright, Morris & Arthur, LLP, where he co-chaired the firm’s class action practice. After graduating from Harvard Law School, Judge Calabrese began his legal career as a law clerk to Judge Alice M. Batchelder of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. He also serves as an adjunct professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Law, where he teaches an advanced course on expert evidence and at the University of Akron School of Law where he teaches the First Amendment’s Speech Clause.
Member, Ohio House of Representatives
State Representative Brian Stewart is currently serving his first term as State Representative for the 78th Ohio House district, which includes Hocking and Morgan Counties, as well as portions of Athens, Fairfield, Muskingum and Pickaway Counties.
In addition to his career in public service, Rep. Stewart maintains a successful law practice representing businesses and individuals with The Law Office of Brian Stewart, LLC.
Rep. Stewart enlisted for active duty in the Army after experiencing 9/11 as a high school senior. He is an infantry veteran of the Iraq War and earned the Combat Infantryman’s Badge (CIB) in addition to twice receiving the Army Commendation Medal. Following his service, he returned to school and earned both his Bachelor’s and law degree from the Ohio State University.
A lifelong resident of Southern Ohio, Rep. Stewart is very active in his community. He is a past Vice President and Spokesman for the Ohio Fallen Heroes Memorial, a statewide memorial dedicated to all Ohio service members killed in the line of duty since 9/11. He has also been a member of the Pickaway County Farm Bureau, the Veterans of Foreign Warns, the Association of Ohio Commodores, the Pickaway County and Ohio State Bar Associations, the Pickaway Senior Center Board of Directors and the Pickaway County Republican Central Committee.
In his free time, Rep. Stewart is a dedicated movie buff, a passionate sports fan and enjoys target shooting, books on American history and the music of Johnny Cash. Rep. Stewart lives in Ashville and attends Village Chapel Church with his wife, Letanya, and their three children.
Partner, DiCello Levitt Gutzler LLC
David is a litigator and privacy advocate based in the New York office of DiCello Levitt Gutzler LLC. He is one of the nation’s leading voices for the recognition of property rights in personal data, a 10-year effort culminating in the Ninth Circuit’s landmark April 2020 decision in In re: Facebook Internet Tracking Litigation and the Northern District of California’s March 2021 decision in Calhoun v. Google, both of which he argued. David also successfully argued for the extraterritorial application of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act in 2019 in In re: Apple Device Performance Litigation, and filed the first-ever data privacy class action under seal to address a dangerous website vulnerability under Court supervision in Rodriguez v. Universal Prop. & Cas. Ins. Co. As M.I.T. Technology Review magazine put it in 2012, David is “something of a pioneer” in the field.
David also frequently teaches, most recently as an adjunct professor at Yeshiva University’s Sy Syms School of Business, teaching Business Law and Ethics every fall semester from 2015 to 2021. Prior to joining DiCello Levitt, David was a partner with Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP, and helped launch the US offices of London-based Stewarts Law LLP before that, where he was the global head of investor protection litigation. Prior to joining the plaintiffs’ bar, David was an associate with the New York office of Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP. Although not currently an active member, David first joined the Federalist Society in law school in 1994, one of the few Society alums in the plaintiffs’ bar.
Vice President and General Counsel, NetChoice
Judge, United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio
Judge J. Philip Calabrese was confirmed to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio in December 2020. Previously, he served on the State trial court in the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas. Before taking the bench, he had a complex litigation practice for nearly two decades and was a partner at what is now Squire Patton Boggs and at Porter, Wright, Morris & Arthur, LLP, where he co-chaired the firm’s class action practice. After graduating from Harvard Law School, Judge Calabrese began his legal career as a law clerk to Judge Alice M. Batchelder of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. He also serves as an adjunct professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Law, where he teaches an advanced course on expert evidence and at the University of Akron School of Law where he teaches the First Amendment’s Speech Clause.
Member, Ohio House of Representatives
State Representative Brian Stewart is currently serving his first term as State Representative for the 78th Ohio House district, which includes Hocking and Morgan Counties, as well as portions of Athens, Fairfield, Muskingum and Pickaway Counties.
In addition to his career in public service, Rep. Stewart maintains a successful law practice representing businesses and individuals with The Law Office of Brian Stewart, LLC.
Rep. Stewart enlisted for active duty in the Army after experiencing 9/11 as a high school senior. He is an infantry veteran of the Iraq War and earned the Combat Infantryman’s Badge (CIB) in addition to twice receiving the Army Commendation Medal. Following his service, he returned to school and earned both his Bachelor’s and law degree from the Ohio State University.
A lifelong resident of Southern Ohio, Rep. Stewart is very active in his community. He is a past Vice President and Spokesman for the Ohio Fallen Heroes Memorial, a statewide memorial dedicated to all Ohio service members killed in the line of duty since 9/11. He has also been a member of the Pickaway County Farm Bureau, the Veterans of Foreign Warns, the Association of Ohio Commodores, the Pickaway County and Ohio State Bar Associations, the Pickaway Senior Center Board of Directors and the Pickaway County Republican Central Committee.
In his free time, Rep. Stewart is a dedicated movie buff, a passionate sports fan and enjoys target shooting, books on American history and the music of Johnny Cash. Rep. Stewart lives in Ashville and attends Village Chapel Church with his wife, Letanya, and their three children.
Partner, DiCello Levitt Gutzler LLC
David is a litigator and privacy advocate based in the New York office of DiCello Levitt Gutzler LLC. He is one of the nation’s leading voices for the recognition of property rights in personal data, a 10-year effort culminating in the Ninth Circuit’s landmark April 2020 decision in In re: Facebook Internet Tracking Litigation and the Northern District of California’s March 2021 decision in Calhoun v. Google, both of which he argued. David also successfully argued for the extraterritorial application of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act in 2019 in In re: Apple Device Performance Litigation, and filed the first-ever data privacy class action under seal to address a dangerous website vulnerability under Court supervision in Rodriguez v. Universal Prop. & Cas. Ins. Co. As M.I.T. Technology Review magazine put it in 2012, David is “something of a pioneer” in the field.
David also frequently teaches, most recently as an adjunct professor at Yeshiva University’s Sy Syms School of Business, teaching Business Law and Ethics every fall semester from 2015 to 2021. Prior to joining DiCello Levitt, David was a partner with Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP, and helped launch the US offices of London-based Stewarts Law LLP before that, where he was the global head of investor protection litigation. Prior to joining the plaintiffs’ bar, David was an associate with the New York office of Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP. Although not currently an active member, David first joined the Federalist Society in law school in 1994, one of the few Society alums in the plaintiffs’ bar.
Vice President and General Counsel, NetChoice
Courthouse Steps Decision Webinar: Hemphill v. New York
Mike Hurst
On January 20, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Hemphill v. New York. In an 8-1...
Courthouse Steps Decision Webinar: Hemphill v. New York
Mike Hurst
On January 20, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Hemphill v. New York. In an 8-1...
Courthouse Steps Decision: Determining Finality for Pursuing Liability: The Implications of Thompson v. Clark
Marc Levin, Vincent Stark, Marie Miller
In Thompson v. Clark, the plaintiff sought to bring a civil suit claiming he was...
Tech Roundup Episode 17 – Governor Doug Ducey on Tech Policy and Innovation
Brent Skorup, Doug Ducey, Adam Thierer
Regulatory Transparency Project's Fourth Branch Podcast
Eight years after he was first sworn in, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey will leave office...
Topics
The ABA is Stretching the Limits of Law with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Rule
The ABA recently put forth a newly revised Standard 206 on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion....
Topics
Stretching the Limits of Judicial Deference to the Military
In the early days of the litigation against the Department of Defense’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate,...
1996 James Madison Lecture [Archive Collection]
Edith Brown Clement, Martin Feldman, Harvey C. Koch, Harry T. Lemmon, Edwin Meese
On October 9, 1996, the Federalist Society's student chapter at Loyola University School of Law...
1996 James Madison Lecture [Archive Collection]
Edith Brown Clement, Martin Feldman, Harvey C. Koch, Harry T. Lemmon, Edwin Meese
On October 9, 1996, the Federalist Society's student chapter at Loyola University School of Law...
Panel Three: Tech / Consumer Protection & Data Privacy
J. Philip Calabrese, Brian Stewart, David Straite, Carl M. Szabo
Across the country, states are looking at how to handle the privacy rights of their...
Panel Three: Tech / Consumer Protection & Data Privacy
J. Philip Calabrese, Brian Stewart, David Straite, Carl M. Szabo
Across the country, states are looking at how to handle the privacy rights of their...