Danielle Runyan serves as the Chair of the Military and Public Arena Practice Groups for First Liberty Institute and is an officer in the Air Force Reserve. Prior to arriving at First Liberty, Mrs. Runyan served as Senior Trial Counsel in the Commercial Litigation Division of the Department of the Air Force. Her continuous commitment to leadership and public service earned her the Department of Defense Spirit of Service Award in May of 2021.
Considered a subject matter expert on various aspects of religious liberty issues affecting military members, Mrs. Runyan testified before Congress regarding the impact and effects of COVID-19 vaccine mandates in 2023, writes opinion articles that are regularly published by various major media outlets, and frequently appears on television, radio, and podcasts.
Mrs. Runyan presently represents over 4,300 Navy service members in the first-ever class action lawsuit filed against the United States Navy and the Department of Defense, Navy SEALs 1-26 v. Biden, defending the religious liberty rights of those who requested an accommodation in response to the DoD’s and Navy’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates. As of July 2024, through successful resolution of the Navy servicemembers’ claims, religious service members now are able to proudly maintain their careers.
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U.S. Navy SEALs 1-26 v. Biden: A New Settlement Agreement Protects Religious Servicemembers
When the United States military mandated COVID-19 vaccinations and categorically denied religious accommodations, servicemembers whose...