Deputy Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, The White House
Ryan Baasch serves as the Deputy Director of President Trump's National Economic Council (NEC), and as Deputy Assistant to the President on Economic Policy, where he focuses on cutting-edge technology issues at the frontier of AI regulation, space commercialization, and telecommunications networks. Before joining NEC, Ryan occupied multiple positions in the Texas Attorney General's office where he supervised all of the office's offensive civil litigation and maintained a heavy appellate caseload touching First Amendment and technology issues. Ryan began his career as a law clerk to Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson and spent five years at a large law firm in Washington D.C. and New York.
Independent Analyst, None
Allison Hayward most recently served as the Head of Case Selection at the Oversight Board. Previously, she was a Commissioner at the California Fair Political Practices Commission, a Board Member at the Office of Congressional Ethics, and an Assistant Professor of Law at George Mason University School of Law. She also previously worked as Chief of Staff and Counsel in the office of Federal Election Commission Commissioner Bradley A. Smith and practiced election law in California and in Washington DC.
In 1994-1995, Professor Hayward was a judicial clerk for the Honorable Danny J. Boggs, United States Court of Appeal for the Sixth Circuit.
She is a member of the State Bar of California and the District of Columbia Bar.
Vice President for Legal Strategy, Stand Together
Casey Mattox is Vice President for Legal Strategy at Stand Together and Senior Advisor at
Americans for Prosperity. In these roles he advocates for and creates strategies and
partnerships to ensure a constitutionally limited government that protects the civil liberties of all
Americans. Prior to joining Stand Together and AFP Casey’s legal career focused on defending
the First Amendment rights of students, faculty, healthcare workers and religious organizations.
Casey has a J.D. from Boston College School of Law and an undergraduate degree from the
University of Virginia. You can find him on Twitter at @CaseyMattox_ and on LinkedIn at
@Casey-Mattox-ST.
Legal Advocacy Counsel, Chamber of Progress
Jess Miers is Legal Advocacy Counsel at Chamber of Progress. As a lawyer and technologist, Jess primarily focuses on the intersection of law and the Internet. She is widely considered an expert on U.S. intermediary liability law and has written, spoken, and taught extensively about topics such as speech and Section 230, content moderation, intellectual property, and cyber crime. Jess is also currently an advisor to the Trust & Safety Professional Association, and an industry mentor for Santa Clara Law’s Tech Edge J.D. certificate program.
Jess joins Chamber of Progress from Google where she was a Senior Government Affairs & Public Policy Analyst. At Google, Jess oversaw the state and federal content policy portfolios. In addition to monitoring emerging U.S. content policy, Jess also worked closely with Google’s Litigation teams to influence the courts on key online speech issues, many of which are currently pending U.S. Supreme Court review.
Before law school, Jess received her Bachelor’s in Computer Science from George Mason University. She spent four years as a Software Engineer for a defense contractor in Northern Virginia. Throughout law school, Jess interned at Twitter, TechFreedom, The UCLA Technology Law and Policy Institute, and Google Trust & Safety. She also founded the SCU Internet Law Student Organization, with the goal of encouraging students to explore and pursue careers in Internet law and policy.
Jess currently resides in the heart of Silicon Valley in California. When she’s not advocating for online speech, Jess enjoys climbing peaks and exploring the many beautiful California coastal trails with her husband and her dog.
Solicitor General of Florida
Henry Whitaker became Florida’s Solicitor General in July 2021. He came to the position after four years of serving in the Office of Legal Counsel of the U.S. Department of Justice, including as Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, where he advised the White House Counsel’s Office, the Attorney General, and cabinet secretaries on a range of important and complex legal issues. Before that, Solicitor General Whitaker worked on the Appellate Staff of the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice for almost nine years, arguing more than 40 appeals in the federal appellate courts. He clerked for Justice Clarence Thomas of the U.S. Supreme Court and for Judge David B. Sentelle of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit after graduating magna cum laude from both Harvard Law School and Yale College.
General Counsel, Office of the Governor, State of Florida
As General Counsel to Governor DeSantis, David manages the legal operations of the Governor’s office. This includes advising on a broad variety of state and federal law issues, formulating litigation strategy for significant cases involving the Executive Branch, providing legal guidance and oversight to the state agencies that report to the Governor, and recommending candidates for judicial appointments, among numerous other responsibilities.
David previously served as General Counsel to the Florida House of Representatives, where he advised House leadership on constitutional and other legal matters and represented the House's interests in litigation. He was also General Counsel to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, where he managed the legal operations of Florida’s primary business regulatory agency. Prior to joining the Department, David practiced commercial litigation at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner in Miami. He received his law degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Miami, where he served as president of the Federalist Society’s student chapter.
Interim President, New College of Florida
Richard Corcoran moved to Florida as a child in 1976. Both of his parents grew up during the Great Depression and fought in World War II. They instilled a great sense of pride in public service and duty in him at an early age.
From them, Mr. Corcoran developed the principles by which he and his wife of over 24 years, Anne, who is also an attorney, teach their six children today.
Mr. Corcoran grew up in Pasco County, Florida where he graduated from Hudson High School. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree from St. Leo College in 1989 and a Juris Doctorate from Regent University in 1996. While enrolled in college, Richard also served in the U.S. Naval Reserve (1987-1993).
Mr. Corcoran has been a practicing attorney in Florida for almost 20 years. He also served as the Speaker of the Florida House from 2016-2018. During his tenure in the state House, he pushed through over $10 billion in tax cuts, the elimination of over 5,000 regulations, the massive expansion of school choice, and the strongest ethics and transparency laws in state history.
Mr. Corcoran is a passionate advocate for improving the education system in Florida. He fully believes every child can learn and that all children deserve the opportunity to receive a world-class education.
Shareholder, Heise Suarez Melville
Over 30 years ago, Mark began his legal career as a law clerk to the Honorable James Lawrence King, former Chief United States District Judge for the Southern District of Florida. Since that time, Mark successfully pursued a broad spectrum of cases in arbitration or in state and federal courts.
Significant matters include:
In addition, Mark has successfully litigated numerous complex, significant matters, including multimillion-dollar insurance claims, the defense and prosecution of legal and accounting malpractice claims, and securities litigation on behalf of defrauded investors. Some of these reported cases include Flint v. ABB, Inc., 229 F. Supp.2d 1338 (S.D. Fla. 2002); Southeastern Staffing Services, Inc. v. Florida Dept. of Ins., 728 So.2d 248 (Fla. 1st DCA 1998); Christiania Holding, Inc. v. Koalick, 695 So.2d 491 (Fla. 3d DCA 1993).
Notably, one of his most meaningful and rewarding cases dates to his first year as a lawyer, when he represented an elderly woman whose 49-year-old son had suffered debilitating brain damage resulting from a vaccine he received as an infant. At the time, Congress had recently passed the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act and the mother approached Mark approximately two weeks before the expiration of the statute of limitations to file a claim. She only wanted one thing: the ability to die in peace knowing her son would be taken care of for the rest of his life. Although the case had countless challenges and nuances, Mark did not hesitate to take it on pro bono. He spent three years moving the case forward before the federal government and he eventually secured the outcome the family wanted: access for her son to an assisted living facility for the rest of his life and support to ensure that he could live as independently as possible. In addition to waiving his fees, Mark persuaded other attorneys involved in the case to follow suit so the son could keep the meager $30,000 provided for by the law to cover all the pain and suffering incurred throughout his life.
A true believer in giving back to support meaningful causes, particularly those related to our youth, Mark has spearheaded major donations of everything from back-to-school basics for underserved children at local schools to meaningful contributions to charitable nonprofit organizations such as Feeding South Florida, Children’s Home Society and Lotus House.
Chancellor, State University System of Florida
Ray Rodrigues is Chancellor of the State University System of Florida.
In this role, Chancellor Rodrigues is the primary liaison between the Board of Governors, the State Legislature, the Executive Branch, Departments, and Agencies throughout the State of Florida. The State University System has been ranked #1 in the nation by U.S. News and World Report since 2017. Additionally, the Chancellor is CEO of the Board of Governors and provides oversight, guidance, and administration by implementing policies and regulations adopted by the Board, which impacts 12 institutions and more than 430,000 students annually.
Chancellor Rodrigues started his career at a corporate component of General Electric, where he managed their U.S. Import Compliance team. Additionally, Ray Rodrigues then worked for 17 years at Florida Gulf Coast University, where he held positions of Director of Interagency Partnerships, Director of Community Relations, and Business Manager for the College of Arts and Sciences.
In addition to his professional career, Chancellor Rodrigues has an extensive career in public service, where he served as the Florida State Senator for District 27 and four terms in the Florida House of Representatives. During his time in the Legislature, Rodrigues served as the Chair of the Senate Reapportionment Committee, Chair of the Senate Government Operations Committee, Chair of the House Health and Human Services Committee, and the House Majority Leader. His ability to listen, build consensus, and be an agent of change led to his unanimous appointment as Chancellor.
Chancellor Rodrigues earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Berry College in Rome, Georgia, and in 2017 earned his Master in Public Administration (MPA ) from Florida Gulf Coast University. Ray is an avid reader, statesman, and storyteller. Ray, his wife Ruth, and son Rhett call Tallahassee home.
Judge, United States District Court, Southern District of Florida
Rodolfo “Rudy” Armando Ruiz II is a District Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Prior to his judicial commission on May 3, 2019, Ruiz was a Circuit Court Judge for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida from 2014 through 2019, and a Miami-Dade County Court Judge from 2012 through 2014. Ruiz also served as an Assistant County Attorney with the Miami-Dade County Attorney’s Office and an associate with White & Case LLP.
Ruiz received a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Duke University and earned his Juris Doctor from Georgetown University. After graduating from law school, he was a law clerk to the Honorable Federico A. Moreno of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
Legal Director, ACLU Florida
Daniel Tilley is legal director of the ACLU of Florida since April 2019. He joined the organization in 2012 as a staff attorney whose work primarily focused on the LGBT community. Among his other work, he served as lead counsel in the ACLU’s federal-court litigation that, as part of a pair of consolidated cases and a team of lawyers, brought marriage equality to Florida in January 2015. Daniel studied classical piano and German language and literature at New York University before returning to his home state for law school at the University of Georgia.
During law school, Daniel received the Spurgeon Public Interest Fellowship, was a member of the Georgia Law Review and the Order of the Coif, and interned in Arusha, Tanzania at the U.N. International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Before joining the ACLU, Daniel clerked in Atlanta at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia and in Washington, D.C. at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. While in D.C., he served on the D.C. Lawyer Chapter board of the American Constitution Society.
United States District Judge, United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
On December 20, 2019, Raag Singhal received his judicial commission to serve on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Judge Singhal is the first Asian American in history to serve as an Article III judge in the jurisdiction of the Eleventh Circuit (Alabama, Georgia and Florida).
Immediately prior to becoming a federal judge, Judge Singhal spent eight years as a State Circuit Court Judge in Broward County, Florida, having been appointed by then-Governor Rick Scott in 2011. During that period of time, Singhal served, at times, in the Criminal, Civil and Mental Health divisions and was fortunate enough to sit as an Associate Judge on Florida’s Fourth District Court of Appeal on four occasions.
As a lawyer, Singhal gained experience at a civil litigation firm followed by three years as an Assistant State Attorney. After that, Singhal ran a successful criminal defense practice in Fort Lauderdale for eighteen years. During that time, he handled more than two hundred jury trials including thirty first-degree murder cases.
Judge Singhal has had leadership roles in many law-related groups. He is past-President of the Broward Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Stephen H. Booher Chapter of the American Inns of Court. He was on the Board of Directors of the Broward County Bar Association, and is a frequent speaker at events for various local Bar groups such as the Asian Pacific American Bar Association and the Federalist Society. Singhal was also Associate Dean of the Florida College for Advanced Judicial Studies upon his elevation to the federal court system.
Judge Singhal received his law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law in 1989 where he was very active in Moot Court activities, and was on the winning team of the J. Braxton Craven National Moot Court Competition (4th Amendment). He received his undergraduate degree in Political Science from Rice University in 1986.
Senior Legal Fellow, Courts and the Constitution, Legal Policy Center, The Heritage Foundation
Zack is a Senior Legal Fellow of Courts and the Constitution at The Heritage Foundation.
He previously served for several years as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Northern District of Florida. Prior to that, he spent two years as an associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, which he joined after clerking for the Hon. Emmett R. Cox on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
Smith received his undergraduate, master’s, and law degrees from the University of Florida. During law school, Smith served as the Editor in Chief of the Florida Law Review and served on the executive boards of several student organizations, including the UF Chapter of the Federalist Society.
Solicitor General of Florida
Henry Whitaker became Florida’s Solicitor General in July 2021. He came to the position after four years of serving in the Office of Legal Counsel of the U.S. Department of Justice, including as Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, where he advised the White House Counsel’s Office, the Attorney General, and cabinet secretaries on a range of important and complex legal issues. Before that, Solicitor General Whitaker worked on the Appellate Staff of the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice for almost nine years, arguing more than 40 appeals in the federal appellate courts. He clerked for Justice Clarence Thomas of the U.S. Supreme Court and for Judge David B. Sentelle of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit after graduating magna cum laude from both Harvard Law School and Yale College.
United States District Judge, United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
On December 20, 2019, Raag Singhal received his judicial commission to serve on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Judge Singhal is the first Asian American in history to serve as an Article III judge in the jurisdiction of the Eleventh Circuit (Alabama, Georgia and Florida).
Immediately prior to becoming a federal judge, Judge Singhal spent eight years as a State Circuit Court Judge in Broward County, Florida, having been appointed by then-Governor Rick Scott in 2011. During that period of time, Singhal served, at times, in the Criminal, Civil and Mental Health divisions and was fortunate enough to sit as an Associate Judge on Florida’s Fourth District Court of Appeal on four occasions.
As a lawyer, Singhal gained experience at a civil litigation firm followed by three years as an Assistant State Attorney. After that, Singhal ran a successful criminal defense practice in Fort Lauderdale for eighteen years. During that time, he handled more than two hundred jury trials including thirty first-degree murder cases.
Judge Singhal has had leadership roles in many law-related groups. He is past-President of the Broward Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Stephen H. Booher Chapter of the American Inns of Court. He was on the Board of Directors of the Broward County Bar Association, and is a frequent speaker at events for various local Bar groups such as the Asian Pacific American Bar Association and the Federalist Society. Singhal was also Associate Dean of the Florida College for Advanced Judicial Studies upon his elevation to the federal court system.
Judge Singhal received his law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law in 1989 where he was very active in Moot Court activities, and was on the winning team of the J. Braxton Craven National Moot Court Competition (4th Amendment). He received his undergraduate degree in Political Science from Rice University in 1986.
Senior Legal Fellow, Courts and the Constitution, Legal Policy Center, The Heritage Foundation
Zack is a Senior Legal Fellow of Courts and the Constitution at The Heritage Foundation.
He previously served for several years as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Northern District of Florida. Prior to that, he spent two years as an associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, which he joined after clerking for the Hon. Emmett R. Cox on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
Smith received his undergraduate, master’s, and law degrees from the University of Florida. During law school, Smith served as the Editor in Chief of the Florida Law Review and served on the executive boards of several student organizations, including the UF Chapter of the Federalist Society.
Solicitor General of Florida
Henry Whitaker became Florida’s Solicitor General in July 2021. He came to the position after four years of serving in the Office of Legal Counsel of the U.S. Department of Justice, including as Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, where he advised the White House Counsel’s Office, the Attorney General, and cabinet secretaries on a range of important and complex legal issues. Before that, Solicitor General Whitaker worked on the Appellate Staff of the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice for almost nine years, arguing more than 40 appeals in the federal appellate courts. He clerked for Justice Clarence Thomas of the U.S. Supreme Court and for Judge David B. Sentelle of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit after graduating magna cum laude from both Harvard Law School and Yale College.
United States District Judge, United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
On December 20, 2019, Raag Singhal received his judicial commission to serve on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Judge Singhal is the first Asian American in history to serve as an Article III judge in the jurisdiction of the Eleventh Circuit (Alabama, Georgia and Florida).
Immediately prior to becoming a federal judge, Judge Singhal spent eight years as a State Circuit Court Judge in Broward County, Florida, having been appointed by then-Governor Rick Scott in 2011. During that period of time, Singhal served, at times, in the Criminal, Civil and Mental Health divisions and was fortunate enough to sit as an Associate Judge on Florida’s Fourth District Court of Appeal on four occasions.
As a lawyer, Singhal gained experience at a civil litigation firm followed by three years as an Assistant State Attorney. After that, Singhal ran a successful criminal defense practice in Fort Lauderdale for eighteen years. During that time, he handled more than two hundred jury trials including thirty first-degree murder cases.
Judge Singhal has had leadership roles in many law-related groups. He is past-President of the Broward Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Stephen H. Booher Chapter of the American Inns of Court. He was on the Board of Directors of the Broward County Bar Association, and is a frequent speaker at events for various local Bar groups such as the Asian Pacific American Bar Association and the Federalist Society. Singhal was also Associate Dean of the Florida College for Advanced Judicial Studies upon his elevation to the federal court system.
Judge Singhal received his law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law in 1989 where he was very active in Moot Court activities, and was on the winning team of the J. Braxton Craven National Moot Court Competition (4th Amendment). He received his undergraduate degree in Political Science from Rice University in 1986.
Senior Legal Fellow, Courts and the Constitution, Legal Policy Center, The Heritage Foundation
Zack is a Senior Legal Fellow of Courts and the Constitution at The Heritage Foundation.
He previously served for several years as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Northern District of Florida. Prior to that, he spent two years as an associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, which he joined after clerking for the Hon. Emmett R. Cox on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
Smith received his undergraduate, master’s, and law degrees from the University of Florida. During law school, Smith served as the Editor in Chief of the Florida Law Review and served on the executive boards of several student organizations, including the UF Chapter of the Federalist Society.
Solicitor General of Florida
Henry Whitaker became Florida’s Solicitor General in July 2021. He came to the position after four years of serving in the Office of Legal Counsel of the U.S. Department of Justice, including as Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, where he advised the White House Counsel’s Office, the Attorney General, and cabinet secretaries on a range of important and complex legal issues. Before that, Solicitor General Whitaker worked on the Appellate Staff of the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice for almost nine years, arguing more than 40 appeals in the federal appellate courts. He clerked for Justice Clarence Thomas of the U.S. Supreme Court and for Judge David B. Sentelle of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit after graduating magna cum laude from both Harvard Law School and Yale College.
Prof. Sheley joined the College of Law in 2018. Before coming to OU she was an Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary Faculty of Law. She has also served as a Visiting Associate Professor at the George Washington University Law School and an Olin-Searle Fellow at Georgetown University Law Center. Prior to academia she practiced for several years in the litigation group of the Washington, D.C. offices of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP. While in practice she was commended by the Humane Society of the United States for her pro bono work in the prosecution of dog fighting sponsors. She is proud to have served on the Board of Directors of the Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society.
U.S. Attorney, Middle District of Tennessee, U.S. Department of Justice
Braden Boucek was sworn in on December 24, 2025, as the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. Prior to becoming United States Attorney, Mr. Boucek served as the senior vice president of litigation at the Southeastern Legal Foundation having previously served as the vice president of legal affairs at the Beacon Center. Mr. Boucek has extensive experience as a prosecutor, starting his career at the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office before serving for two years as an Assistant District Attorney General in Williamson County. He was a federal prosecutor for ten years, first serving as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Western District of Tennessee from 2005 to 2011. From 2011 to 2015, Mr. Boucek was an Assistant United States Attorney in the Middle District of Tennessee, the district he now leads as the United States Attorney.
Managing Partner - Washington, D.C., Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP
Jane Luxton is the Managing Partner of Lewis Brisbois’ Washington, D.C. office, co-chair of the Government Investigations & White Collar Defense Practice, co-chair of the Government Relations Group Leadership, co-chair of the Environmental and Administrative Law Practice, and vice-chair of the Consumer Financial Services Practice. Jane has extensive experience in environmental as well as other federal regulatory, policy, and litigation matters. She advises businesses, associations, and coalitions in navigating all levels of the federal regulatory process, including appellate advocacy.
Recent matters include:
Jane’s knowledge of environmental and administrative law gained key insights from her experience serving in several prominent positions in the U.S. government. From 2007-2009, she served as general counsel of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, advising the Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere on legal and policy issues related to natural resource damages, coastal zone and fisheries management, endangered species and marine mammal protection, and weather and climate change science. In this role, in which she held a top secret/SCI security clearance, Jane was appointed by the President to head the U.S. delegation to the 2008 Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission. She also received the U.S. Department of Commerce Gold Medal Award in 2008 and 2009.
Jane’s experience includes “first chair” prosecution of antitrust and other criminal cases at the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Attorneys office, Eastern District of Virginia. In private practice, Jane has represented clients in grand jury and other government investigations.
Net Choices: Social Media, Content Moderation, and the First Amendment
TeleforumPanel II: U.S. Supreme Court Review
Raag Singhal, Zack Smith, Henry Charles Whitaker
Featuring: Zack Smith, Legal Fellow and Manager, Supreme Court and Appellate Advocacy Program, Meese Center, The...
Panel II: U.S. Supreme Court Review
Raag Singhal, Zack Smith, Henry Charles Whitaker
Featuring: Zack Smith, Legal Fellow and Manager, Supreme Court and Appellate Advocacy Program, Meese Center, The...
U.S. Supreme Court Session Review with Florida’s Top Advocate
Orlando Lawyers Chapter
Orlando, FLTopics
Federal Appellate Court Upholds State Ban on Gender Medicine for Minors
Recently, the Sixth Circuit upheld Tennessee’s ban on so-called gender-affirming medical interventions for minors. Of...
Pennsylvania Supreme Court holds GPS Data is not Hearsay
Erin Sheley
In Pennsylvania v. Wallace, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania held that GPS data collected from...
Luncheon and Panel Discussion: Is DEI Compatible with Academic Freedom?
2023 Florida Young Lawyers Summit
Coral Gables, FLPanel II: U.S. Supreme Court Review
2023 Florida Young Lawyers Summit
Coral Gables, FL2023 Florida Young Lawyers Summit
Florida Young Lawyers Chapter
Coral Gables, FLA Discussion on NMFS’s Regulatory Authority: Whales, Speed Limits, and Legal Questions
Braden H. Boucek, Jane Luxton
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), an arm of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration...