Senior Attorney, Institute for Justice
Michael Bindas is a senior attorney with the Institute for Justice (IJ) and leads IJ’s educational choice team. In this role, he oversees a talented group of IJ attorneys who help policymakers design constitutionally defensible educational choice programs and who defend educational choice programs in courtrooms nationwide. He joined IJ in 2005.
Michael was part of IJ’s litigation team in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, in which the U.S. Supreme Court held the exclusion of religious options from Montana’s educational choice program unconstitutional, and he led IJ’s defense of the Choice Scholarship Program for elementary and secondary students in Douglas County, Colorado. He also successfully challenged Washington’s denial of special education services to children in religious schools, as well as the state’s exclusion of sectarian options from its state work study program. Currently, he leads IJ’s team in Carson v. Makin, challenging Maine’s exclusion of religious options from its educational choice program.
Prior to leading IJ’s educational choice team, Michael litigated extensively to secure economic liberty, property rights, and freedom of speech throughout the nation. He was counsel of record at the U.S. Supreme Court for Kimbrough Fine Wine & Spirits in Tennessee Wine and Spirits Retailers Association v. Thomas, a successful challenge to Tennessee’s durational residency requirements for retail liquor licenses. He also led successful challenges to the municipal sign codes of St. Louis, Mo. and Norfolk, Va., after those cities attempted to silence protests of their abusive eminent domain practices.
Prior to joining IJ, Michael spent three years as an attorney with Perkins Coie LLP. He is a former law clerk to Judge Rhesa Hawkins Barksdale of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and served as an engineer officer in the United States Army and Pennsylvania Army National Guard before beginning his legal career.
Michael received his law degree cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 2001, where he served as Articles Editor for the Journal of Constitutional Law and was elected to the Order of the Coif. He received his undergraduate degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1995.
President and CEO, The Buckeye Institute
Robert Alt is the President and Chief Executive Officer of The Buckeye Institute where he has catalyzed exponential growth since he took the organization’s helm in 2012. He has since founded Buckeye’s renowned Economic Research Center and established its impactful Legal Center.
Alt is a distinguished scholar and attorney with particular expertise in legal policy, criminal justice, national security, and constitutional law. He previously worked for former U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese III, regularly provides commentary on television and radio programs, and his writings have appeared in countless outlets.
In 2004, Alt spent five months in Iraq as an embedded war correspondent.
Alt has testified before Congress multiple times—including at the confirmation hearings for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan—the Federal Election Commission regarding matters of constitutional and administrative law, and numerous state legislatures.
Alt serves as an officer on the boards of The Philadelphia Society and the Federalist Society’s Columbus Lawyers Chapter. He taught national security law, criminal law, and legislation at Case Western Reserve University School of Law, as well as constitutional law and political parties and interest groups at Ashland University.
Alt earned his Doctor of Law degree from The University of Chicago Law School, where he was Symposium Editor and the winner of the Mulroy Prize for Excellence in Appellate Advocacy as well as research assistant to Professor Richard Epstein. Following law school, he clerked for Judge Alice Batchelder on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Alt graduated with his Bachelor of Arts in philosophy and political science magna cum laude from Azusa Pacific University where he also won the Outstanding Senior Award in Political Science.
Alt is an accomplished high-altitude alpinist and endurance athlete who has successfully climbed 6.75 of the famed Seven Summits of the World including Mount Everest. He is the creator of PROFOUND CLIMBING™ and a frequent speaker across the country and around the world on legal and public policy topics as well as effective leadership, management, decision-making, and teamwork in contexts ranging from extraordinary life/death situations to ordinary professional/business settings.
President and CEO, The Buckeye Institute
Robert Alt is the President and Chief Executive Officer of The Buckeye Institute where he has catalyzed exponential growth since he took the organization’s helm in 2012. He has since founded Buckeye’s renowned Economic Research Center and established its impactful Legal Center.
Alt is a distinguished scholar and attorney with particular expertise in legal policy, criminal justice, national security, and constitutional law. He previously worked for former U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese III, regularly provides commentary on television and radio programs, and his writings have appeared in countless outlets.
In 2004, Alt spent five months in Iraq as an embedded war correspondent.
Alt has testified before Congress multiple times—including at the confirmation hearings for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan—the Federal Election Commission regarding matters of constitutional and administrative law, and numerous state legislatures.
Alt serves as an officer on the boards of The Philadelphia Society and the Federalist Society’s Columbus Lawyers Chapter. He taught national security law, criminal law, and legislation at Case Western Reserve University School of Law, as well as constitutional law and political parties and interest groups at Ashland University.
Alt earned his Doctor of Law degree from The University of Chicago Law School, where he was Symposium Editor and the winner of the Mulroy Prize for Excellence in Appellate Advocacy as well as research assistant to Professor Richard Epstein. Following law school, he clerked for Judge Alice Batchelder on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Alt graduated with his Bachelor of Arts in philosophy and political science magna cum laude from Azusa Pacific University where he also won the Outstanding Senior Award in Political Science.
Alt is an accomplished high-altitude alpinist and endurance athlete who has successfully climbed 6.75 of the famed Seven Summits of the World including Mount Everest. He is the creator of PROFOUND CLIMBING™ and a frequent speaker across the country and around the world on legal and public policy topics as well as effective leadership, management, decision-making, and teamwork in contexts ranging from extraordinary life/death situations to ordinary professional/business settings.
Attorney General and Reporter, State of Tennessee
Herbert H. Slatery III was sworn in as Attorney General and Reporter for the State of Tennessee on October 1, 2014. He was appointed by the Supreme Court to serve an eight-year term.
As the chief legal officer of the state, General Slatery represents state officers and agencies through his staff of approximately 340 employees working in five offices across Tennessee.
General Slatery also has the authority to investigate and prosecute civil actions for environmental enforcement, antitrust violations, Medicaid fraud, and consumer fraud. He is solely responsible for criminal appellate cases.
Under his direction, the Tennessee Attorney General’s office is leading a nation-wide investigation into opioids manufacturers and distributors as well as filing suit against Purdue Pharma in Tennessee for the unlawful marketing and selling of opioids.
As Attorney General, he has also successfully defended the laws of the State in cases of federal encroachment including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Waters of the United States Rule and a challenge to the way Tennessee counts votes in the controversial Amendment 1 case.
In addition to his duties as Attorney General, Slatery also serves the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) as Co-Chair of the Charities Committee and Co-Chair of the Finance Committee.
He has also served as chair of the Southern Region of Attorneys General, which stretches from Texas to Virginia.
Prior to his appointment as Attorney General and Reporter, General Slatery served as Counsel to Governor Bill Haslam from 2011-2014. In that role, he also advised on judicial appointments, coordinated the legal affairs of the executive branch, assisted in the development and implementation of legislation, and reviewed requests for executive clemency and extradition.
Before joining the Haslam Administration, General Slatery was in private practice in Knoxville, Tennessee with Egerton, McAfee, Armistead & Davis, P.C. for whom he served as President from 1998-2007, and Chairman from 2008 to January 2011. He practiced in the areas of finance (both private and local government), corporate governance, capital formation, real estate, and acquisitions and sales of businesses.
General Slatery is a Knoxville native. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and law degree from the University of Tennessee. He and his wife, Cary, have two children, Frances and Harrison, and in October of 2014 welcomed their first grandchild, Carter Elizabeth Slatery, into the family.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, U.S. Department of Justice
Jessie K. Liu was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on September 14, 2017, as the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, and took office on September 24, 2017.
Ms. Liu was an Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Columbia from 2002 to 2006, prosecuting violent crime, drug trafficking, firearms, and fraud offenses in both the Superior Court and Criminal Divisions, and briefing and arguing appeals in the D.C. Court of Appeals and the U.S. District Court for the D.C. Circuit. She subsequently served in several senior positions in the U.S. Department of Justice, including as Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Division, Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General for national security matters, and Deputy Chief of Staff for the National Security Division. Most recently, she was Deputy General Counsel at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, advising the Secretary of the Treasury and other senior Treasury officials on national security, law enforcement, and intelligence issues.
In addition, Ms. Liu has been a partner at the law firms of Morrison & Foerster LLP and Jenner & Block LLP, where her practice focused on litigation, investigations, and compliance.
Ms. Liu clerked for then-Chief Judge Carolyn Dineen King of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in Houston, Texas. She received her A.B., summa cum laude, from Harvard University in 1995 and her J.D. from Yale Law School in 1998.
Partner, Lehotsky Cohn
Mithun Mansinghani is an experienced appellate and trial litigator who has argued cases at all levels in state and federal court, including at the U.S. Supreme Court. His practice focuses on commercial litigation, regulatory issues, and appeals. Mr. Mansinghani has been ranked by Chambers & Partners both in Oklahoma and nationwide for his litigation work. He also has been recognized in Lawdragon’s 500X – The Next Generation list for his appellate expertise and Benchmark Litigation’s 40 and Under list for his commercial litigation.
From 2017 to 2022, Mr. Mansinghani served as Oklahoma Solicitor General, the state’s chief advocate on appellate matters, constitutional issues, and challenges to federal regulation. In that role, he also advised the Attorney General, the Governor, the Legislature, and other state leadership on critical and high-stakes legal issues. Mr. Mansinghani has argued more cases before the Justices of the Oklahoma Supreme Court than any other litigator in the last decade.
Mr. Mansinghani has been nationally recognized for amici briefs he authored at the U.S. Supreme Court. These amici briefs have been cited in Supreme Court opinions, referenced by the Justices at argument, and received a National Association of Attorneys General “Best Brief” award. He also provides commentary on U.S. Supreme Court cases for media outlets including NPR, The New York Times, SCOTUSblog, and Bloomberg.
In addition to appellate litigation, Mr. Mansinghani has first-chaired several bench trials to successful verdicts. He has conducted all stages of district court litigation, and has prevailed in numerous cases on summary judgment and motions to dismiss.
Mr. Mansinghani’s extensive experience includes federal and state constitutional law, litigating federal and state regulation, and work with state attorneys general. He has particular expertise in matters related to energy and the environment. Mr. Mansinghani also has significant experience negotiating with Native American tribes and has litigated some of the nation’s most important federal Indian law cases.
Prior to serving in the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office, Mr. Mansinghani was a litigator with Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher in Washington, D.C. He served as a law clerk to the Hon. Jerry E. Smith on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Mr. Mansinghani graduated with honors from Harvard Law School, where he was as an editor of The Harvard Law Review.
Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Lindsay S. See joined the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission as a Commissioner in June 2024. Before her current role, Commissioner See served as the Solicitor General of West Virginia, where she managed appellate and high-stakes litigation for the State. With a particular focus on energy and administrative law, her work included leading multi-state and multi-interest coalitions on a variety of national issues. She argued twice before the U.S. Supreme Court, filed multi-state comments in dozens of agency rulemakings, and routinely appeared before the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia and the federal courts of appeals.
Commissioner See previously practiced appellate and administrative law for several years with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in Washington, D.C. She graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School and clerked for the Hon. Thomas B. Griffith on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Originally from Michigan, See now considers herself both a proud Michigander and Mountaineer.
Attorney General of Tennessee
Jonathan Skrmetti was sworn in to an eight-year term as Tennessee’s Attorney General and Reporter on September 1, 2022.
Prior to his current role, General Skrmetti served as Chief Counsel to Governor Bill Lee and as Chief Deputy Attorney General to his predecessor, Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery.
Before working for the State of Tennessee, General Skrmetti was a partner at Butler Snow LLP in Memphis. His legal career began with nearly a decade as a federal prosecutor. He worked at the Civil Rights Division at Main Justice and then at the Memphis U.S. Attorney’s Office and prosecuted sex traffickers, corrupt government officials, and violent white supremacists. In addition, General Skrmetti taught cyberlaw as an adjunct professor at the University of Memphis.
General Skrmetti earned honors degrees from George Washington University, the University of Oxford, and Harvard Law School, where he was editor-in-chief of the Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy. Following law school, Jonathan clerked for Judge Steven Colloton on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. He lives in Franklin, Tennessee, with his wife and four children.
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