Professor of Law, Notre Dame Law School
Professor Derek Muller is a nationally-recognized scholar in the field of election law. His research focuses on the role of states in the administration of federal elections, the constitutional contours of voting rights and election administration, the limits of judicial power in the domain of elections, and the Electoral College.
He has published more than two dozen academic works, and his op-eds have appeared in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and the Wall Street Journal. He has testified before Congress, and he is a contributor at the Election Law Blog. He is a co-author on a Federal Courts casebook published by Carolina Academic Press. He is also the co-reporter on a new Restatement of the Law, Election Litigation, an effort led by the American Law Institute.
Professor Muller teaches Election Law, Civil Procedure, and Evidence.
Senior Counsel, The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty
Joe Davis joined Becket in 2017 as Legal Counsel. His work at Becket has included appellate litigation in both federal and state courts, including representing religious entities and governments sued because of their openness to religious expression in precedent-setting victories before the Third, Fifth, Seventh, and Eleventh Circuits. Joe has appeared in national media to discuss religious liberty issues, including on Fox News and numerous radio and print outlets, and his academic work on topics related to religious liberty has been published at venues including the Yale Law Journal Forum and the Notre Dame Law Review Online.
Before joining Becket, Joe worked as a litigator at Jones Walker LLP in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he worked on a variety of matters from commercial and criminal litigation to bankruptcy. From 2014 to 2015, he clerked for the Honorable E. Grady Jolly of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Joe graduated summa cum laude from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2014, where he served on the Virginia Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif. While in law school, Joe studied religious liberty law with one of the top religious liberty scholars and litigators in the nation. He also worked as a researcher for the law school’s Supreme Court Litigation Clinic. Before going to law school, Joe received his B.A. in Economics with a minor in Religion, summa cum laude, from Mississippi State University.
Joe is married to his high school sweetheart. When he’s not helping her corral their four young children, he tends to be reading the classics, watching college football, or listening to his vinyl collection.
Senior Counsel, The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty
Joe Davis joined Becket in 2017 as Legal Counsel. His work at Becket has included appellate litigation in both federal and state courts, including representing religious entities and governments sued because of their openness to religious expression in precedent-setting victories before the Third, Fifth, Seventh, and Eleventh Circuits. Joe has appeared in national media to discuss religious liberty issues, including on Fox News and numerous radio and print outlets, and his academic work on topics related to religious liberty has been published at venues including the Yale Law Journal Forum and the Notre Dame Law Review Online.
Before joining Becket, Joe worked as a litigator at Jones Walker LLP in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he worked on a variety of matters from commercial and criminal litigation to bankruptcy. From 2014 to 2015, he clerked for the Honorable E. Grady Jolly of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Joe graduated summa cum laude from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2014, where he served on the Virginia Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif. While in law school, Joe studied religious liberty law with one of the top religious liberty scholars and litigators in the nation. He also worked as a researcher for the law school’s Supreme Court Litigation Clinic. Before going to law school, Joe received his B.A. in Economics with a minor in Religion, summa cum laude, from Mississippi State University.
Joe is married to his high school sweetheart. When he’s not helping her corral their four young children, he tends to be reading the classics, watching college football, or listening to his vinyl collection.
Judge, Ohio Twelfth District Court of Appeals
Judge Matthew R. Byrne was elected to the Ohio Court of Appeals for the Twelfth District in 2020, and his first term began on January 1, 2021. He is currently serving as the court's elected Administrative Judge. The Twelfth District Court of Appeals hears civil and criminal appeals from the trial courts in eight counties in southwest Ohio. Judge Byrne is active in the Ohio Judicial Conference and the Ohio Court of Appeals Judges Association. He also currently serves as a member and vice chair of the Ohio Supreme Court's Commission on the Rules of Practice and Procedure (where he previously chaired the Appellate Rules Committee). He previously served as a member of the Ohio Supreme Court's Commission on Character and Fitness.
From January 2010 to December 2020, Judge Byrne practiced law at the national law firm of Jackson Lewis P.C. He was a member of the firm's General Employment Litigation Practice Group and the Wage and Hour Practice Group. From 2007 to 2010 he practiced at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP. At both firms, Judge Byrne represented clients ranging from small businesses to international corporations in state and federal trial and appellate litigation, including multiple class and collective actions. He also represented clients in arbitration and before numerous administrative agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the National Labor Relations Board, and the Ohio Civil Rights Commission.
Judge Byrne earned his law degree, cum laude, from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. During law school he was symposium editor of the Ohio State Law Journal and the winner of the Donald S. Teller Memorial Award for student writing contributing most significantly to the Ohio State Law Journal. During law school he clerked for the Acting General Counsel of the United States Department of the Treasury. Judge Byrne earned his bachelor's degree, magna cum laude, from Xavier University, where he majored in International Affairs (Business) and Political Science.
Prior to entering law school Judge Byrne served in President George W. Bush's Administration as a member of the White House staff in the Office of Presidential Personnel, the office responsible for selecting candidates to recommend to the President for appointment or nomination to high-level government positions, and for coordinating with the Offices of White House Counsel, Press Secretary, and Executive Clerk regarding candidate background clearances, press announcements, and the status of appointments/nominations.
Judge Byrne has been a member of the Federalist Society since law school and he served for five years as president of the Federalist Society's Cincinnati Lawyers Chapter. He is a member of a number of other community and civic organizations, including the Ohio State Bar Association and the bar associations of Butler, Clermont, and Warren Counties. Judge Byrne previously was a member of the Advisory Board of Pregnancy Center East and a board member and president of the St. Thomas More Lawyers Guild of Greater Cincinnati.
Judge Byrne is an active parishioner at his church, where he is a lector, a former member and president of the Education Commission, and a former member of the Finance and Administration Commission.
Judge Byrne resides in Deerfield Township, Warren County, Ohio with his wife Julie and their three children.
Senior Counsel, Alliance Defending Freedom
Jeremiah Galus serves as senior counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, where he is a key member of the Center for Christian Ministries.
Since joining ADF in 2015, Galus has represented a wide array of religious ministries, schools, and churches, litigating cases at all levels of state and federal court. Galus has successfully briefed and argued appeals before both state appellate courts and the U.S. Court of Appeals. He was a key member of ADF’s litigation team in Uzuegbunam v. Preszewski, leading to a U.S. Supreme Court victory ensuring government officials are held accountable for violating constitutionally protected freedoms.
Prior to joining ADF, Galus worked as an attorney with a large law firm in Washington, D.C., where he focused on complex civil litigation. Galus also served as a prosecutor before joining ADF. Galus received his J.D., cum laude, in 2009 from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, where he served as senior research editor of the University of Pittsburgh Law Review. He earned a B.A. in government and political affairs from Millersville University in 2006. Galus also is a 2007 Blackstone Fellow.
Galus is admitted to the state bars of Arizona, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia, the U.S. Supreme Court, and various lower federal courts.
Vice President of Government Relations, Columbus Chamber of Commerce
As Vice President of Government Relations, Holly Gross helps our members navigate the ever-changing opportunities and challenges businesses face when it comes to local, state and federal policy decisions. Not only can she advocate for your business, but she also helps to unify the voices of our greater Columbus business community. Holly, an attorney, finds creative ways to help businesses better understand critical policy issues, foster relationships with your elected officials and provide your business with the resources it needs to be successful.
A graduate of The Ohio State University and Capital University Law School, Holly represented the State’s retail industry before the Ohio General Assembly as Legislative Counsel for the Ohio Council of Retail Merchants, where she focused on legislative issues pertaining to labor and employment, alcohol and gambling, economic and workforce development and the automotive industry. Her previous experiences also include Executive Director for the Ohio Association of Convenience Stores and the Ohio Tire and Automotive Association, as well as a Legislative Aide for the Ohio House of Representatives.
Partner, Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP
Philip litigates complex matters in state and federal courts. He has briefed appeals in multiple U.S. Courts of Appeals, including the Sixth, Seventh, and Ninth Circuits, as well as state appellate courts in Ohio, Kentucky, and Georgia. Philip has also represented amici at both the cert petition and merits stages in the U.S. Supreme Court.
Prior to joining Taft, Philip served as a law clerk for Judge Raymond M. Kethledge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, Judge Amul R. Thapar of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Judge Lavenski R. Smith of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.
Philip serves on the board of directors for the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky lawyers chapters of the Federalist Society. He was a 2018 James Wilson Fellow with the James Wilson Institute, a 2013 John Marshall Fellow with the Claremont Institute Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence, and a 2011 Blackstone Fellow with the Alliance Defending Freedom.
Philip received his undergraduate degree, with Highest Honors, from Ouachita Baptist University. He received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he served as the submissions review editor for the Journal of Law and Politics.
Judge, Ohio Twelfth District Court of Appeals
Judge Matthew R. Byrne was elected to the Ohio Court of Appeals for the Twelfth District in 2020, and his first term began on January 1, 2021. He is currently serving as the court's elected Administrative Judge. The Twelfth District Court of Appeals hears civil and criminal appeals from the trial courts in eight counties in southwest Ohio. Judge Byrne is active in the Ohio Judicial Conference and the Ohio Court of Appeals Judges Association. He also currently serves as a member and vice chair of the Ohio Supreme Court's Commission on the Rules of Practice and Procedure (where he previously chaired the Appellate Rules Committee). He previously served as a member of the Ohio Supreme Court's Commission on Character and Fitness.
From January 2010 to December 2020, Judge Byrne practiced law at the national law firm of Jackson Lewis P.C. He was a member of the firm's General Employment Litigation Practice Group and the Wage and Hour Practice Group. From 2007 to 2010 he practiced at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP. At both firms, Judge Byrne represented clients ranging from small businesses to international corporations in state and federal trial and appellate litigation, including multiple class and collective actions. He also represented clients in arbitration and before numerous administrative agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the National Labor Relations Board, and the Ohio Civil Rights Commission.
Judge Byrne earned his law degree, cum laude, from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. During law school he was symposium editor of the Ohio State Law Journal and the winner of the Donald S. Teller Memorial Award for student writing contributing most significantly to the Ohio State Law Journal. During law school he clerked for the Acting General Counsel of the United States Department of the Treasury. Judge Byrne earned his bachelor's degree, magna cum laude, from Xavier University, where he majored in International Affairs (Business) and Political Science.
Prior to entering law school Judge Byrne served in President George W. Bush's Administration as a member of the White House staff in the Office of Presidential Personnel, the office responsible for selecting candidates to recommend to the President for appointment or nomination to high-level government positions, and for coordinating with the Offices of White House Counsel, Press Secretary, and Executive Clerk regarding candidate background clearances, press announcements, and the status of appointments/nominations.
Judge Byrne has been a member of the Federalist Society since law school and he served for five years as president of the Federalist Society's Cincinnati Lawyers Chapter. He is a member of a number of other community and civic organizations, including the Ohio State Bar Association and the bar associations of Butler, Clermont, and Warren Counties. Judge Byrne previously was a member of the Advisory Board of Pregnancy Center East and a board member and president of the St. Thomas More Lawyers Guild of Greater Cincinnati.
Judge Byrne is an active parishioner at his church, where he is a lector, a former member and president of the Education Commission, and a former member of the Finance and Administration Commission.
Judge Byrne resides in Deerfield Township, Warren County, Ohio with his wife Julie and their three children.
Senior Counsel, Alliance Defending Freedom
Jeremiah Galus serves as senior counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, where he is a key member of the Center for Christian Ministries.
Since joining ADF in 2015, Galus has represented a wide array of religious ministries, schools, and churches, litigating cases at all levels of state and federal court. Galus has successfully briefed and argued appeals before both state appellate courts and the U.S. Court of Appeals. He was a key member of ADF’s litigation team in Uzuegbunam v. Preszewski, leading to a U.S. Supreme Court victory ensuring government officials are held accountable for violating constitutionally protected freedoms.
Prior to joining ADF, Galus worked as an attorney with a large law firm in Washington, D.C., where he focused on complex civil litigation. Galus also served as a prosecutor before joining ADF. Galus received his J.D., cum laude, in 2009 from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, where he served as senior research editor of the University of Pittsburgh Law Review. He earned a B.A. in government and political affairs from Millersville University in 2006. Galus also is a 2007 Blackstone Fellow.
Galus is admitted to the state bars of Arizona, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia, the U.S. Supreme Court, and various lower federal courts.
Vice President of Government Relations, Columbus Chamber of Commerce
As Vice President of Government Relations, Holly Gross helps our members navigate the ever-changing opportunities and challenges businesses face when it comes to local, state and federal policy decisions. Not only can she advocate for your business, but she also helps to unify the voices of our greater Columbus business community. Holly, an attorney, finds creative ways to help businesses better understand critical policy issues, foster relationships with your elected officials and provide your business with the resources it needs to be successful.
A graduate of The Ohio State University and Capital University Law School, Holly represented the State’s retail industry before the Ohio General Assembly as Legislative Counsel for the Ohio Council of Retail Merchants, where she focused on legislative issues pertaining to labor and employment, alcohol and gambling, economic and workforce development and the automotive industry. Her previous experiences also include Executive Director for the Ohio Association of Convenience Stores and the Ohio Tire and Automotive Association, as well as a Legislative Aide for the Ohio House of Representatives.
Partner, Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP
Philip litigates complex matters in state and federal courts. He has briefed appeals in multiple U.S. Courts of Appeals, including the Sixth, Seventh, and Ninth Circuits, as well as state appellate courts in Ohio, Kentucky, and Georgia. Philip has also represented amici at both the cert petition and merits stages in the U.S. Supreme Court.
Prior to joining Taft, Philip served as a law clerk for Judge Raymond M. Kethledge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, Judge Amul R. Thapar of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Judge Lavenski R. Smith of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.
Philip serves on the board of directors for the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky lawyers chapters of the Federalist Society. He was a 2018 James Wilson Fellow with the James Wilson Institute, a 2013 John Marshall Fellow with the Claremont Institute Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence, and a 2011 Blackstone Fellow with the Alliance Defending Freedom.
Philip received his undergraduate degree, with Highest Honors, from Ouachita Baptist University. He received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he served as the submissions review editor for the Journal of Law and Politics.
Senior Counsel, The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty
Joe Davis joined Becket in 2017 as Legal Counsel. His work at Becket has included appellate litigation in both federal and state courts, including representing religious entities and governments sued because of their openness to religious expression in precedent-setting victories before the Third, Fifth, Seventh, and Eleventh Circuits. Joe has appeared in national media to discuss religious liberty issues, including on Fox News and numerous radio and print outlets, and his academic work on topics related to religious liberty has been published at venues including the Yale Law Journal Forum and the Notre Dame Law Review Online.
Before joining Becket, Joe worked as a litigator at Jones Walker LLP in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he worked on a variety of matters from commercial and criminal litigation to bankruptcy. From 2014 to 2015, he clerked for the Honorable E. Grady Jolly of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Joe graduated summa cum laude from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2014, where he served on the Virginia Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif. While in law school, Joe studied religious liberty law with one of the top religious liberty scholars and litigators in the nation. He also worked as a researcher for the law school’s Supreme Court Litigation Clinic. Before going to law school, Joe received his B.A. in Economics with a minor in Religion, summa cum laude, from Mississippi State University.
Joe is married to his high school sweetheart. When he’s not helping her corral their four young children, he tends to be reading the classics, watching college football, or listening to his vinyl collection.
University of New Hampshire School pf Law, Dean
Megan M. Carpenter is dean of the University of New Hampshire School of Law. Dean Carpenter is an internationally known expert in intellectual property, with particular interests in entrepreneurship, branding, and the arts.
Prior to joining UNH Law, Dean Carpenter was founder and co-director of the Center for Law and Intellectual Property at Texas A&M University School of Law, where she also served as Professor of Law and Faculty Director of three intellectual property and entrepreneurship-related clinical programs.
Dean Carpenter has extensive experience in institution-building; her talent for driving initiatives from concept to execution has helped to establish successful programs both within law schools and universities generally. She has spearheaded the creation of innovative academic programs, including experiential learning initiatives, joint degree programs, study abroad, regular conferences and symposia, certificate programs, and interdisciplinary programs with various colleges across university campuses. A hallmark of her leadership is a collaborative and student-centered approach.
She writes and publishes in the area of intellectual property and innovation, including the book, Evolving Economies: The Role of Law in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. She has written multiple book chapters and published works in the Hastings Law Journal, Fordham Law Review, Columbia Journal of Law & the Arts, Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment and Technology Law, and the Yale Journal of Human Rights and Development.
Dean Carpenter believes that learning best takes place at the intersection of theory, policy, and practice. She has received multiple awards for her dedication to students, her skills in program development, and her service to the university and the community, including the Texas A&M University System Distinguished Faculty Award, the President’s Grand Challenge Award, the Judith Kuhn & Stephen R. Alton Service Award, and the United States Association for Small Business & Entrepreneurship (USASBE) Best Workshop Award. Throughout her career, Dean Carpenter has engaged intellectual property law with underserved communities such as early-stage entrepreneurs, musicians, and grassroots arts organizations.
Dean Carpenter practiced law at Kirkpatrick & Lockhart (now K&L Gates), where she represented clients on a variety of intellectual property and technology-related issues.
Dean, Boston University School of Law
Professor Stacey Dogan is a leading scholar in intellectual property and competition law. Her recent articles explore cutting-edge topics in trademark, copyright, and right of publicity law, including questions of intermediary liability, the rights of trademark parodists, and evolving norms underlying trademark law.
Professor Dogan has presented her research at numerous national and international conferences, and her writings have appeared in journals including the Stanford Law Review, Emory Law Journal, Iowa Law Review and Texas Law Review. She has served as chair of the Intellectual Property Section of the Association of American Law Schools, and was co-editor-in-chief of the Journal of the Copyright Society from 2008 to 2011. Dogan is an active participant in educational programs with the local bar, leading seminars and discussions for the Boston Bar Association, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education and the Massachusetts Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts.
Before joining the BU faculty, Professor Dogan taught for more than a decade at Northeastern University School of Law, where she focused on intellectual property and antitrust law. She came to teaching after several years of practicing law with the Washington, DC law firm of Covington & Burling, where she specialized in antitrust, trademark, and copyright law. After law school, she practiced with Heller, Ehrman, White & McAuliffe in San Francisco and served as a law clerk to the Honorable Judith Rogers of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.
Rucho v. Common Cause and Lamone v. Benisek - Post-Argument SCOTUScast
Derek T. Muller
On March 26, 2019, the Supreme Court heard argument in Rucho v. Common Cause and...
Topics
The Curious Case of Kerpen v. MWAA
Currently, a petition for certiorari sits before the Court in Kerpen v. Metropolitan Washington Airports...
Deep Dive Episode 54 – Department of Interior Considers Rulemaking on the Right to Use Eagle Feathers in Religious Exercise
Joseph Davis
It is currently a federal crime, under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, for...
Litigation Update: Department of Interior Considers Rulemaking on the Right to Use Eagle Feathers in Religious Exercise
Joseph Davis
It is currently a federal crime, under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, for...
Litigation Update: Department of Interior Considers Rulemaking on the Right to Use Eagle Feathers in Religious Exercise
Religious Liberties Practice Group and Regulatory Transparency Project Teleforum
TeleforumThe FUCT Case of Trademarks and Free Speech: Registering Immoral and Scandalous Marks
Boston, MATopics
Rule 8.4(g) Development: Two Major Changes in Utah, Comment Period Ends Sunday
In 2017, the Utah Supreme Court held a public comment period on a proposal that...
Panel 3: Emerging Religious Liberty Issues in Ohio
Matthew R. Byrne, Jeremiah Galus, Holly Gross, Philip D. Williamson
On April 5, 2019, the Federalist Society's Ohio lawyers chapters hosted the 2019 Ohio Chapters...
Panel 3: Emerging Religious Liberty Issues in Ohio
Matthew R. Byrne, Jeremiah Galus, Holly Gross, Philip D. Williamson
On April 5, 2019, the Federalist Society's Ohio lawyers chapters hosted the 2019 Ohio Chapters...
An Evening with Rock Star Supreme Court Plaintiff Simon Tam of The Slants
Columbus Lawyers Chapter
Columbus, OH