Director, GOP4ERA
Steve Andersson is the Executive Director of the GOP for the ERA. He is a former Commissioner of Human Rights for the State of Illinois appointed by Illinois’ Governor JB Pritzker. He is also a retired member of the Illinois House of Representatives. During his tenure, he served as floor leader for the House Republican Caucus and oversaw all debates on the House floor. In addition, Representative Andersson led a bi-partisan initiative to end the longest state budget impasse in US history.
During his last session in the Illinois House, Representative Andersson was the Chief Republican Sponsor of the Equal Rights Amendment. He successfully passed the Amendment, making Illinois the 37th to pass the ERA. Since passage of the ERA in Illinois, Representative Andersson has traveled the country advocating for passage in additional states. He has been a practicing lawyer since 1992, and he is licensed to practice in Illinois, the 7th Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court.
Director, Independent Women's Law Center, Independent Women's
Jennifer C. Braceras, a member of the Federalist Society Board of Visitors, is the director of Independent Women’s Law Center and a former member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
Ms. Braceras is a graduate of the Harvard Law School, where she served as an editor of the Law Review. After law school, she clerked for two federal judges and practiced labor and employment law with the Boston law firm Ropes & Gray.
A long time political columnist and editor, Ms. Braceras's writing has appeared in a variety of publications, including the Wall Street Journal, the Boston Globe, the Hill, and National Review Online. She co-hosts At the Bar, a bimonthly virtual happy hour discussion about issues at the intersection of law, politics, and culture.
Founder, Law Office of Eileen J. O'Connor PLLC
After nearly 30 years as a national tax specialist with the IRS and major accounting firms, Eileen J. O’Connor, now an attorney in private practice, was Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Tax Division for six years during the administration of President George W. Bush and a member of then-President-elect Trump’s Treasury Department Transition Team. She focuses on federal administrative and tax law.
Director, GOP4ERA
Steve Andersson is the Executive Director of the GOP for the ERA. He is a former Commissioner of Human Rights for the State of Illinois appointed by Illinois’ Governor JB Pritzker. He is also a retired member of the Illinois House of Representatives. During his tenure, he served as floor leader for the House Republican Caucus and oversaw all debates on the House floor. In addition, Representative Andersson led a bi-partisan initiative to end the longest state budget impasse in US history.
During his last session in the Illinois House, Representative Andersson was the Chief Republican Sponsor of the Equal Rights Amendment. He successfully passed the Amendment, making Illinois the 37th to pass the ERA. Since passage of the ERA in Illinois, Representative Andersson has traveled the country advocating for passage in additional states. He has been a practicing lawyer since 1992, and he is licensed to practice in Illinois, the 7th Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court.
Director, Independent Women's Law Center, Independent Women's
Jennifer C. Braceras, a member of the Federalist Society Board of Visitors, is the director of Independent Women’s Law Center and a former member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
Ms. Braceras is a graduate of the Harvard Law School, where she served as an editor of the Law Review. After law school, she clerked for two federal judges and practiced labor and employment law with the Boston law firm Ropes & Gray.
A long time political columnist and editor, Ms. Braceras's writing has appeared in a variety of publications, including the Wall Street Journal, the Boston Globe, the Hill, and National Review Online. She co-hosts At the Bar, a bimonthly virtual happy hour discussion about issues at the intersection of law, politics, and culture.
Founder, Law Office of Eileen J. O'Connor PLLC
After nearly 30 years as a national tax specialist with the IRS and major accounting firms, Eileen J. O’Connor, now an attorney in private practice, was Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Tax Division for six years during the administration of President George W. Bush and a member of then-President-elect Trump’s Treasury Department Transition Team. She focuses on federal administrative and tax law.
Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Professor Emeritus of Public Policy, Univ. of Maryland Baltimore County
George R. La Noue is Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Professor Emeritus of Public Policy at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. He has served as a trial expert in twenty cases involving public procurement preferences. For thirty years, he was Director of the Project on Civil Rights and Public Contracts at UMBC which recently contributed 289 public contracting disparity studies to the Library of Congress. He has been a consultant to nine governments and trial expert in thirty cases where the validity of disparity studies was at issue.
Prof. La Noue can be reached by email at glanoue@umbc.edu.
Former United States National Security Advisor
Zbigniew Brzezinski (born 1928) was assistant to the president of the United States for national security affairs during the Carter administration (1977-1980). Later he was associated with the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington D.C. He authored several books through which he expounded his philosophies as well as his political beliefs and ideals.
Former United States National Security Advisor
Zbigniew Brzezinski (born 1928) was assistant to the president of the United States for national security affairs during the Carter administration (1977-1980). Later he was associated with the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington D.C. He authored several books through which he expounded his philosophies as well as his political beliefs and ideals.
Research Fellow, Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies, Cato Institute
Trevor Burrus is a research fellow in the Cato Institute’s Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies and Center for the Study of Science, as well as managing editor of the Cato Supreme Court Review. His research interests include constitutional law, civil and criminal law, legal and political philosophy, legal history, and the interface between science and public policy. His academic work has appeared in journals such as the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, the New York University Journal of Law and Liberty, the New York University Annual Survey of American Law, the Syracuse Law Review, and many others. His popular writing has appeared in the Washington Post, the New York Times, USA Today, Forbes, the Huffington Post, the New York Daily News, and others.
Burrus lectures regularly on behalf of the Federalist Society, the Institute for Humane Studies, the Foundation for Economics Education, and other organizations, and he frequently appears on major media outlets. He is also the co-host of Free Thoughts, a weekly podcast that covers topics in libertarian theory, history, and philosophy.
He is the editor of A Conspiracy against Obamacare (Palgrave Macmillan, 2013) and Deep Commitments: The Past, Present, and Future of Religious Liberty (Cato, 2017), and holds a BA in philosophy from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a JD from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law.
Historian and Author
Garrett Peck is an author, historian and tour guide in the nation's capital. He leads tours through The Smithsonian Associates, and his Temperance Tour of Prohibition-related sites has been featured on C-SPAN Book TV and the History Channel program "Ten Things You Didn't Know About" with punk rock legend Henry Rollins. He was featured on a two-hour documentary about Prohibition by the Smithsonian Channel. His seventh book, The Great War in America: World War I and Its Aftermath, was published in 2018.
Peck was involved with the DC Craft Bartenders Guild in lobbying the DC City Council to have the Rickey declared Washington's native cocktail in 2011. He researched and pinpointed the Washington Brewery site at Navy Yard, and is particularly proud that Green Hat Gin is named after a character Peck wrote about in Prohibition in Washington, D.C.: congressional bootlegger George Cassiday. He has lectured at the Library of Congress, the National Archives, and the Smithsonian Institution, and often speaks at historical societies, literary clubs and trade associations.
Peck is on the board of the Woodrow Wilson House and is a member of the Association of the Oldest Inhabitants of D.C. A native Californian and graduate of the Virginia Military Institute and George Washington University and U.S. Army veteran, he lives in Arlington, Virginia.
Head Brewer, Atlas Brew Works
As Head Brewer at Atlas, Daniel oversees production of Atlas’ varied portfolio of ales and lagers. Daniel has a Bachelor's Degree in Chemistry from the University of Maryland and he is a graduate of the Siebel Institute's Concise Course in Brewing Technology. Daniel came to Atlas mere months after we opened from Franklin's Restaurant and Brewery in Hyattsville, MD. Before entering the craft beer industry, Daniel held a position with Chesapeake Spice Co, as a Quality Control technician. Raised in Prince George’s County, he works hard, has incredible tastes in suits, and loves pepperoni pizza.
Founder, Atlas Brew Works
Now a DC resident for more than a decade, Justin was born and raised in the Smokey Mountains of East Tennessee. Justin pursued his undergraduate degree at Vanderbilt University in Engineering Science and Economics. Shortly after, he moved to Washington, DC to work in business consulting. He returned to law school at George Mason University School of Law in Arlington, VA. After graduating in 2009, Justin took a Presidential Management Fellowship with the General Services Administration.
Meanwhile, he honed his homebrewing skills, becoming a very popular neighbor by having lots of great beer always on hand. Justin decided to throw caution to the wind and explore his entrepreneurial side by opening Atlas Brew Works in his new hometown, the District of Columbia. Calling on long time friend Will Durgin to join as Head Brewer, the two opened the business in September of 2013.
When not putting out fires or marketing and selling beer, Justin enjoys any activity on the water, watching crappy reality TV, and spending time with his wife and English Bulldog.
Partner, Dinsmore & Shohl LLP
Candace has experience in the craft beer industry, which began while bartending at Hamilton’s Tavern, one of San Diego’s premier craft beer bars. She worked at Hamilton’s during law school, and the tavern is where she learned how craft brewers were lacking representation in the legal field, as many had trouble finding attorneys who could answer specific questions about the intricate alcohol-based industry. Craft brewers are constantly dealing with questions such as whether their clever craft brewery name will be approved by the trademark office or whether a lease for a new taproom space will protect their needs and interests. She is aware of what it takes to start, open, sustain and grow a craft brewery.
She has devoted her practice to serving the needs of craft brewers, and during her career, Candace has worked with more than 350 craft breweries and breweries-in-planning across the country. She has counseled them on issues, including business entity formation, alcoholic beverage law, contract review, trademark law and other legal needs.
Candace has also spoken to brewers guilds and at brewers association meetings nationwide on matters such as distribution laws and trademarks, to ensure clients and breweries-in-planning are complying with industry standards and regulations. She has also been a resource for brewery-related issues in newspapers, magazines, TV segments, online and at conferences across the country.
Constitutional Scholarship Director and Senior Legal Analyst, Pacific Legal Foundation
Anastasia Boden is Director of Constitutional Scholarship at Pacific Legal Foundation, where she leads the organization’s Supreme Court commentary and directs scholarly analysis in support of the firm’s litigation. She has represented entrepreneurs and small businesses nationwide in challenges to onerous licensing regimes, anti-competitive titling restrictions, Certificate of Need (“competitor’s veto”) laws, and other forms of unnecessary red tape that block economic opportunity.
Prior to this role, Anastasia developed nearly a dozen constitutional challenges to Certificate of Need laws across the country, helping spur legislative reform in Montana, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Her victories include a ruling invalidating Houston’s busking restrictions, multiple appellate decisions expanding access to the courts for civil rights plaintiffs, and the legislative repeal of Virginia’s happy-hour advertising ban.
Her writings on law and liberty have been featured in USA Today, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, Forbes, and more, and she has appeared on Headline News, CBS News, Fox News, ReasonTV, Newsmax, and John Stossel. In 2020, she was featured on Libertarian Party presidential candidate Jo Jorgensen’s Supreme Court shortlist.
Anastasia earned her BA with dean’s honors from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and her JD from Georgetown University Law Center, where she was research assistant to Professor Randy E. Barnett—the “intellectual godfather” of the constitutional challenge to Obamacare. She is the co-creator of the podcast Dissed, about infamous Supreme Court dissents. She authors the biweekly newsletter SCOTUS Scoop and the column, “In Dissent” for SCOTUSblog.
Director, GOP4ERA
Steve Andersson is the Executive Director of the GOP for the ERA. He is a former Commissioner of Human Rights for the State of Illinois appointed by Illinois’ Governor JB Pritzker. He is also a retired member of the Illinois House of Representatives. During his tenure, he served as floor leader for the House Republican Caucus and oversaw all debates on the House floor. In addition, Representative Andersson led a bi-partisan initiative to end the longest state budget impasse in US history.
During his last session in the Illinois House, Representative Andersson was the Chief Republican Sponsor of the Equal Rights Amendment. He successfully passed the Amendment, making Illinois the 37th to pass the ERA. Since passage of the ERA in Illinois, Representative Andersson has traveled the country advocating for passage in additional states. He has been a practicing lawyer since 1992, and he is licensed to practice in Illinois, the 7th Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court.
Director, Independent Women's Law Center, Independent Women's
Jennifer C. Braceras, a member of the Federalist Society Board of Visitors, is the director of Independent Women’s Law Center and a former member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
Ms. Braceras is a graduate of the Harvard Law School, where she served as an editor of the Law Review. After law school, she clerked for two federal judges and practiced labor and employment law with the Boston law firm Ropes & Gray.
A long time political columnist and editor, Ms. Braceras's writing has appeared in a variety of publications, including the Wall Street Journal, the Boston Globe, the Hill, and National Review Online. She co-hosts At the Bar, a bimonthly virtual happy hour discussion about issues at the intersection of law, politics, and culture.
Founder, Law Office of Eileen J. O'Connor PLLC
After nearly 30 years as a national tax specialist with the IRS and major accounting firms, Eileen J. O’Connor, now an attorney in private practice, was Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Tax Division for six years during the administration of President George W. Bush and a member of then-President-elect Trump’s Treasury Department Transition Team. She focuses on federal administrative and tax law.
Founder, Atlas Brew Works
Now a DC resident for more than a decade, Justin was born and raised in the Smokey Mountains of East Tennessee. Justin pursued his undergraduate degree at Vanderbilt University in Engineering Science and Economics. Shortly after, he moved to Washington, DC to work in business consulting. He returned to law school at George Mason University School of Law in Arlington, VA. After graduating in 2009, Justin took a Presidential Management Fellowship with the General Services Administration.
Meanwhile, he honed his homebrewing skills, becoming a very popular neighbor by having lots of great beer always on hand. Justin decided to throw caution to the wind and explore his entrepreneurial side by opening Atlas Brew Works in his new hometown, the District of Columbia. Calling on long time friend Will Durgin to join as Head Brewer, the two opened the business in September of 2013.
When not putting out fires or marketing and selling beer, Justin enjoys any activity on the water, watching crappy reality TV, and spending time with his wife and English Bulldog.
Director, Commercial Freedom; Senior Fellow, R Street Institute
C. Jarrett Dieterle researches and writes on regulatory affairs, alcohol policy, occupational licensing and other commercial freedom issues. He also oversees the Institute’s postal, labor and disintermediation policy programs.
Jarrett previously worked as a regulatory attorney at a Washington law firm. In that role, he advised private companies on how to navigate complex regulatory regimes and helped them challenge overreaching regulations. He also practiced appellate advocacy, co-authoring several Supreme Court amicus briefs. He previously clerked for a federal judge on the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, and has worked and written for numerous policy organizations and think tanks such as the Reason Foundation, Manhattan Institute, Mackinac Center, Federalist Society, Institute for Justice, Atlantic Legal Foundation and the Washington Legal Foundation.
Jarrett earned his bachelor’s from the University of Richmond, with a major in political science and minor in economics. He received his juris doctor from Georgetown University Law Center.
Jarrett currently lives in Richmond, Virginia with his wife, Maria, and their Australian shepherd, Pepper.
Former Director, FedSoc Studios, The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies
Matt Wood is the award-winning former Director of FedSoc Studios at the Federalist Society. Since joining in 2015, Matt has filmed, edited, directed, and/or produced hundreds of short documentaries and videos. He also executive produced the feature-length documentary, They Say It Can’t Be Done. FedSoc Studios' documentary shorts have been official selections in dozens of film festivals across the country receiving numerous awards along the way. Matt is a Moving Picture Institute fellow who has completed MPI’s cinematography and editing workshops. He has collaborated with John Stossel, ReasonTV, and Pacific Legal Foundation. He has interviewed preeminent scholars, high-ranking government officials, politicians, prominent practicing lawyers, and real people impacted by the law from around the nation. Before joining FedSoc, Matt worked on the Atlas Shrugged Part III trilogy, a number of short films, and various projects for liberty-minded organizations. Matt graduated with honors from Texas State University with a degree in digital media/journalism.
The Equal Rights Amendment: Then and Now
Steven Andersson, Jennifer C. Braceras, Eileen J. O'Connor
First proposed in 1923 – yes, nearly one hundred years ago - the Equal Rights Amendment was...
The Equal Rights Amendment: Then and Now
Steven Andersson, Jennifer C. Braceras, Eileen J. O'Connor
First proposed in 1923 – yes, nearly one hundred years ago - the Equal Rights Amendment was...
The Equal Rights Amendment: Then and Now
Administrative Law & Regulation Practice Group Teleforum
TeleforumPublic Contracting Litigation After Croson: Data, Disparities, & Discrimination
George R. La Noue
What causes racial disparities, and what, if anything, can and should be done to remedy...
Topics
HHS Proposal Adds Teeth to Requirements for Retrospective Regulatory Review
There is bipartisan agreement that the cost effectiveness of regulation could be greatly improved if...
Topics
Make Billionaires Pay!
Thursday before last, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), together with Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and...
Opening Address by Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski [Archive Collection]
Zbigniew Brzezinski
On November 6-7, 1987, The Federalist Society held a symposium at the Grand Hyatt Hotel...
Opening Address by Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski [Archive Collection]
Zbigniew Brzezinski
On November 6-7, 1987, The Federalist Society held a symposium at the Grand Hyatt Hotel...
American Craft: What Beer Can Teach Us About Well-Crafted Laws
Georgetown Student Chapter
Washington, DCAmerican Craft: What Beer Can Teach Us About Well-Crafted Laws
Trevor Burrus, Garrett Peck, Daniel Vilarrubi, Justin Cox, Candace Moon, Anastasia P. Boden
There’s never been a better time to be a beer drinker, with thousands of breweries...