Partner, Allen Harris Law
Michael Thad Allen began his legal career with a unique perspective: after earning a Ph.D. in History and Sociology from the University of Pennsylvania, he spent over a decade in academia as a professor of History. There, he witnessed firsthand how university procedures often fall short of constitutional and procedural fairness—especially in disciplinary matters.
Guided by a passion for individual rights and due process, he earned his J.D. from Yale Law School in 2010 and clerked for the late Hon. Ralph D. Gants, then Justice and later Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.
Today, Michael is a partner at Allen Harris PLLC, a firm devoted to Title IX and campus misconduct defense. He represents students, faculty, and academic professionals in disciplinary investigations, misconduct hearings, faculty disputes, and related litigation. His cases frequently involve claims of sexual misconduct, retaliation, or speech-related infractions—often in highly charged environments where reputational, academic, and constitutional stakes are high.
Before co-founding Allen Harris PLLC, Michael practiced complex civil litigation at a national firm, handling matters including patent disputes, product liability, and institutional defense in historical claims of sex abuse cases.
With his combined experience in academia and litigation, Michael offers rare insight into the procedural shortcomings of campus disciplinary systems. He focuses on defending individual rights—particularly where university policies intersect with constitutional protections such as due process, free speech, and academic freedom. His work brings legal precision and institutional understanding to high-stakes matters affecting students and faculty across the country.
General Counsel, Mountain States Legal Foundation
William E. Trachman is General Counsel for Mountain States Legal Foundation, where he protects the rights of individuals to live freely and securely under the U.S. Constitution. Previously, he was appointed to serve in the Department of Education as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office for Civil Rights. Prior to his appointment, he served as General Counsel to the Douglas County School District, where he helped litigate the fight for school choice in the school district. Presently, Mr. Trachman serves as Chair of the Colorado Federalist Society and the Vice Chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights’ Colorado Advisory Board. He previously taught as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Denver, Sturm College of Law. He attended U.C. Berkeley for both undergraduate and law school, and then clerked for the Honorable Harris Hartz on the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Trachman is licensed in Colorado, California, and Washington, D.C.
Partner, Allen Harris Law
Michael Thad Allen began his legal career with a unique perspective: after earning a Ph.D. in History and Sociology from the University of Pennsylvania, he spent over a decade in academia as a professor of History. There, he witnessed firsthand how university procedures often fall short of constitutional and procedural fairness—especially in disciplinary matters.
Guided by a passion for individual rights and due process, he earned his J.D. from Yale Law School in 2010 and clerked for the late Hon. Ralph D. Gants, then Justice and later Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.
Today, Michael is a partner at Allen Harris PLLC, a firm devoted to Title IX and campus misconduct defense. He represents students, faculty, and academic professionals in disciplinary investigations, misconduct hearings, faculty disputes, and related litigation. His cases frequently involve claims of sexual misconduct, retaliation, or speech-related infractions—often in highly charged environments where reputational, academic, and constitutional stakes are high.
Before co-founding Allen Harris PLLC, Michael practiced complex civil litigation at a national firm, handling matters including patent disputes, product liability, and institutional defense in historical claims of sex abuse cases.
With his combined experience in academia and litigation, Michael offers rare insight into the procedural shortcomings of campus disciplinary systems. He focuses on defending individual rights—particularly where university policies intersect with constitutional protections such as due process, free speech, and academic freedom. His work brings legal precision and institutional understanding to high-stakes matters affecting students and faculty across the country.
General Counsel, Mountain States Legal Foundation
William E. Trachman is General Counsel for Mountain States Legal Foundation, where he protects the rights of individuals to live freely and securely under the U.S. Constitution. Previously, he was appointed to serve in the Department of Education as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office for Civil Rights. Prior to his appointment, he served as General Counsel to the Douglas County School District, where he helped litigate the fight for school choice in the school district. Presently, Mr. Trachman serves as Chair of the Colorado Federalist Society and the Vice Chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights’ Colorado Advisory Board. He previously taught as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Denver, Sturm College of Law. He attended U.C. Berkeley for both undergraduate and law school, and then clerked for the Honorable Harris Hartz on the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Trachman is licensed in Colorado, California, and Washington, D.C.
Legal Fellow and Manager, Supreme Court and Appellate Advocacy Program, The Heritage Foundation
Zack is a Legal Fellow and Manager of the Supreme Court and Appellate Advocacy Program in the Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies 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.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Policy, Department of Justice
GianCarlo Canaparo serves as Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Office of Legal Policy at the Department of Justice. There, he oversees the Office's regulatory work and is the Department's liaison to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. He also assists the White House in the process of selecting nominees for federal judgeships and advises Department leadership on policy and legal matters.
Before joining the Department, Canaparo was a senior legal fellow at The Heritage Foundation’s Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies where he researched constitutional law, administrative law, and civil rights.
Canaparo’s scholarship has appeared in various law reviews including the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, the Notre Dame Law Review, the Georgetown Journal of Law and Public Policy, the Texas Review of Law and Politics, and the Administrative Law Review. His research has been cited by Justice Neil Gorsuch and featured in the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post. His analysis has appeared in Law & Liberty, Civitas, Fox News, The National Review, Law 360, FedSoc Blog, and other outlets.
Canaparo co-hosted The Heritage Foundation’s SCOTUS 101 podcast, which follows the Supreme Court’s arguments and opinions and features interviews with judges, advocates, and scholars.
After graduating Georgetown law, Canaparo spent three years at the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and two years as a federal law clerk. He earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of California at Davis.
Canaparo is a classical pianist and organist.
Partner, Fusion Law, PLLC
Paul is the founding partner of Fusion Law, PLLC. He has extensive experience with state, federal, and global regulators building coalitions and implementing policies to promote innovation in financial services. He is responsible for designing and implementing the first state (Arizona) and federal (CFPB) FinTech sandboxes in the United States. He also designed the CFPB no-action letter and trial disclosure policies. He helped found the first global regulatory innovation coalition (Global Financial Innovation Network) and led the founding of the first U.S. regulatory innovation coalition (American Consumer Financial Innovation Network). He served on the Financial Stability Oversight Council subcommittee on digital assets. He also has drafted state-level laws on blockchain and utility tokens.
Paul also has significant enforcement and litigation experience. He led many multi-state consumer protection enforcement matters as Civil Litigation Division Chief at the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.
Prior to his government service, Paul practiced law in the areas of securities litigation and transactional work for approximately six years at two well-known law firms. He also clerked on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
Legal Counsel, Alliance Defending Freedom
Kathleen Barceleau serves as legal counsel for Allied Legal Affairs and Advocacy Strategy at Alliance Defending Freedom. In that role, she works to coordinate and deploy network attorneys to further ADF’s mission and conducts research in support of ADF’s strategic plans.
Before joining ADF, Barceleau was Of Counsel at Fusion Law, where she focused on financial regulation and policy issues. Previously, she served as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Kansas, where she represented Kansas and its officials in civil rights and constitutional litigation in both state and federal courts. She also served as a law clerk to the Hon. Robert H. Cleland on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Barceleau received her J.D. summa cum laude from Ave Maria School of Law. She is a 2016 Blackstone Fellow. Before law school, Barceleau graduated summa cum laude from Ave Maria University with a Bachelor of Arts in Classics and Early Christian Literature and Economics. Barceleau is admitted to the state bar of Michigan.
Professor of History, Georgia Southern University
Johnathan O'Neill is Professor of History at Georgia Southern University. Professor O’Neill is the author of Originalism in American Law and Politics: A Constitutional History (2005) and Conservative Thought and American Constitutionalism Since the New Deal (2023).
Partner, Allen Harris Law
Michael Thad Allen began his legal career with a unique perspective: after earning a Ph.D. in History and Sociology from the University of Pennsylvania, he spent over a decade in academia as a professor of History. There, he witnessed firsthand how university procedures often fall short of constitutional and procedural fairness—especially in disciplinary matters.
Guided by a passion for individual rights and due process, he earned his J.D. from Yale Law School in 2010 and clerked for the late Hon. Ralph D. Gants, then Justice and later Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.
Today, Michael is a partner at Allen Harris PLLC, a firm devoted to Title IX and campus misconduct defense. He represents students, faculty, and academic professionals in disciplinary investigations, misconduct hearings, faculty disputes, and related litigation. His cases frequently involve claims of sexual misconduct, retaliation, or speech-related infractions—often in highly charged environments where reputational, academic, and constitutional stakes are high.
Before co-founding Allen Harris PLLC, Michael practiced complex civil litigation at a national firm, handling matters including patent disputes, product liability, and institutional defense in historical claims of sex abuse cases.
With his combined experience in academia and litigation, Michael offers rare insight into the procedural shortcomings of campus disciplinary systems. He focuses on defending individual rights—particularly where university policies intersect with constitutional protections such as due process, free speech, and academic freedom. His work brings legal precision and institutional understanding to high-stakes matters affecting students and faculty across the country.
General Counsel, Mountain States Legal Foundation
William E. Trachman is General Counsel for Mountain States Legal Foundation, where he protects the rights of individuals to live freely and securely under the U.S. Constitution. Previously, he was appointed to serve in the Department of Education as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office for Civil Rights. Prior to his appointment, he served as General Counsel to the Douglas County School District, where he helped litigate the fight for school choice in the school district. Presently, Mr. Trachman serves as Chair of the Colorado Federalist Society and the Vice Chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights’ Colorado Advisory Board. He previously taught as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Denver, Sturm College of Law. He attended U.C. Berkeley for both undergraduate and law school, and then clerked for the Honorable Harris Hartz on the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Trachman is licensed in Colorado, California, and Washington, D.C.
John Marshall Harlan II Professor of Law Emerita, New York Law School; Former President, American Civil Liberties Union
Nadine Strossen, New York Law School Professor Emerita and Senior Fellow at FIRE (the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression), was national President of the American Civil Liberties Union from 1991 to 2008. An internationally acclaimed free speech scholar and advocate, who regularly addresses diverse audiences and provides media commentary around the world, Strossen is also the Host and Project Consultant for Free To Speak, a 3-hour documentary film series distributed on public television in 2023. Her books about free speech include: Free Speech: What Everyone Needs to Know® (Oxford University Press 2023); HATE: Why We Should Resist It with Free Speech, Not Censorship (Oxford University Press 2018); and Defending Pornography: Free Speech, Sex, and the Fight for Women’s Rights (Scribner 1995), which was republished with a new Preface in 2024 as part of the NYU Classics Series. Her many honors and awards include the National Coalition Against Censorship’s Judy Blume Lifetime Achievement Award for Free Speech. She serves on the Advisory Boards of several organizations that do free speech work, including: ACLU, Academic Freedom Alliance, Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism (FAIR), Heterodox Academy, National Coalition Against Censorship, and the University of Austin.
United States District Judge, Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Judge Wolson was nominated to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in May 2018 and was confirmed in May 2019. Judge Wolson earned his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School, B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania. After graduating from law school, he served as a law clerk for Hon. Jan E. DuBois of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. He then maintained a complex commercial litigation practice, first as an associate with Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C., and then as a partner with Dilworth Paxson in Philadelphia.
Litigation Update: De Piero v. Pennsylvania State University: DEI & Hostile Work Environments Under Title VII
Michael Thad Allen, William E. Trachman
Professor Zack De Piero was an English professor at the Pennsylvania State University Abington campus...
Litigation Update: De Piero v. Pennsylvania State University: DEI & Hostile Work Environments Under Title VII
Michael Thad Allen, William E. Trachman
Professor Zack De Piero was an English professor at the Pennsylvania State University Abington campus...
Litigation Update: De Piero v. Pennsylvania State University: DEI & Hostile Work Environments Under Title VII
The Myth of Mass Incarceration Remains Strong—Despite All Evidence to the Contrary
Zack Smith
A review of Jeffrey Bellin, Mass Incarceration Nation: How the United States Became Addicted to...
Utah Supreme Court Recognizes Fifth Amendment Right in Phone Passcodes
GianCarlo Canaparo
With each new development in communication and surveillance technology come new Fourth and Fifth Amendment...
Free Speech and Its Limits: Should it Protect Even Antisemitic Hate Speech, Advocacy of Terrorism, and Social Media Disinformation?
Philadelphia Lawyers Chapter
Philadelphia, PAThe 30-Year History of Diluting ERISA’s Fiduciary Duty
Paul N. Watkins, Kathleen Barceleau
Under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), fiduciaries have a strict duty...
Topics
2023 National Lawyers Convention: Insurrection & the 14th Amendment
Editor's Note: On December 19th, 2023 the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that Former President Donald Trump...
A Deeper Originalism: From Court-Centered Jurisprudence to Constitutional Self-Government
Johnathan O'Neill
Originalism has substantially reoriented constitutional discourse since it first reemerged in response to the Warren...
Topics
2023 National Lawyers Convention: Insurrection & the 14th Amendment
Editor's Note: On December 19th, 2023 the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that Former President Donald...