Sterling Professor of Law, Yale Law School
Akhil Reed Amar is Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at Yale University, where he teaches constitutional law in both Yale College and Yale Law School. After graduating from Yale College, summa cum laude, in 1980 and from Yale Law School in 1984, and clerking for Judge (later Justice) Stephen Breyer, Amar joined the Yale faculty in 1985 at the age of 26. He is Yale’s only living professor to have won the University’s unofficial triple crown — the Sterling Chair for scholarship, the DeVane Medal for teaching, and the Lamar Award for alumni service.
Amar’s work has won awards from both the American Bar Association and the Federalist Society, and he has been cited by Supreme Court justices across the spectrum in more than 50 cases — tops among scholars under age 70. According to both Fred Shapiro’s landmark 2021 study of lifetime scholarly citations and Heinonline’s most recent tabulation of lifetime law-review citations, Amar is America’s second most-cited legal scholar still under age 70. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and has written widely for popular publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Time, and The Atlantic. He was an informal consultant to the popular TV show The West Wing and his scholarship has been showcased on many broadcasts, including The Colbert Report, Morning Joe, AC360, Velshi, Fox News @ Night with Shannon Bream, Fareed Zakaria GPS, Erin Burnett Outfront, and Constitution USA with Peter Sagal.
He is the author of more than a hundred law review articles and several books, including The Bill of Rights (1998 — winner of the Yale University Press Governors’ Award), America’s Constitution (2005 — winner of the ABA’s Silver Gavel Award), America’s Unwritten Constitution (2012 — named one of the year’s 100 best nonfiction books by The Washington Post), and The Constitution Today (2016 — named one of the year’s top ten nonfiction books by Time magazine). The first volume of his ambitious trilogy on American constitutional history from the Founding to the present, The Words That Made Us: America’s Constitutional Conversation, 1760-1840, came out in May 2021. The second volume, Born Equal: Remaking America’s Constitution, 1840-1920, will be published in September 2025 and is already available for pre-order. All together, his nonfiction books have won two starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and three starred reviews from Kirkus—tops, it is believed, among legal scholars under age 70. Together with Vikram David Amar (YLS ’88), he has a bi-weekly column on the Supreme Court on the distinguished website SCOTUSblog. Along with Andy Lipka, he co-hosts a popular and free weekly podcast, Amarica’s Constitution, whose listeners are eligible for CLE credit in most American jurisdictions. A wide assortment of his articles and op-eds and video links to many of his public lectures and free online courses may be found at akhilamar.com.
Senior Judge, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
Loretta A. Preska is a senior judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. She joined the court in 1992 after being nominated by President George H.W. Bush. Preska became the chief judge of the court in May of 2009 when Kimba Wood assumed senior status. She served as chief judge of the court for a seven-year term from 2009 to 2016, and took senior status in 2017.
Preska graduated from the College of St. Rose with her Bachelor's degree in 1970 and also graduated from Fordham Law with her Juris Doctor Degree in 1973. She graduated from NYU Law with her Master of Laws degree in 1978.
Laurence H. Silberman Chair in Constitutional Governance and Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute; Co-Director, Antonin Scalia Law School’s C. Boyden Gray Center for the Study of the Administrative State
Adam J. White is the Laurence H. Silberman Chair in Constitutional Governance and senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he focuses on the Supreme Court and the administrative state. Concurrently, he codirects the Antonin Scalia Law School’s C. Boyden Gray Center for the Study of the Administrative State.
Mr. White practiced constitutional and administrative law, particularly in the regulation of energy and financial markets. He started his legal career as a law clerk for Judge David B. Sentelle at the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit.
Mr. White has written for the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Washington Post, National Affairs, Commentary, Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, and Notre Dame Law Review, among other publications. He is a regular contributor to the Yale Journal on Regulation’s Notice and Comment blog, and for many years, he was one of the Weekly Standard’s lead writers on constitutional law and the Supreme Court.
Mr. White has testified often before Congress, including before the Senate’s Committees on the Judiciary; Commerce, Science, and Transportation; and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and before the House’s Judiciary and Financial Services Committees. In 2018, the Senate Committee on the Judiciary called him to testify in Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation hearings to advise senators on Kavanaugh’s approach to administrative law.
In 2021, he served on the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States, where he criticized “Court packing” and other efforts to restructure the Supreme Court. In 2017, he was appointed to serve on the Administrative Conference of the United States. He also serves on the leadership council for the American Bar Association’s Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice Section, which he will chair in 2023–24. Before joining AEI, he was a research fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution and an adjunct fellow at the Manhattan Institute.
Mr. White has a JD from Harvard Law School and a bachelor of business administration from the College of Business at the University of Iowa.
Partner, Cohen & Gresser
Firm co-founder Mark S. Cohen is the managing partner of C&G’s New York office, and head of the firm’s Litigation & Arbitration and White Collar Defense & Regulation groups. Mark’s litigation practice includes complex commercial disputes, real estate and construction litigation, securities litigation, employment litigation, and antitrust litigation. He also represents companies, corporate boards, board committees, and individual clients in white collar criminal cases, federal and state regulatory proceedings, and corporate internal investigations.
Mark is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He maintains an active trial practice of both civil and criminal cases and has tried approximately 25 cases to verdict. He led C&G teams to two of the most significant victories in highly contested cases of the past five years. In one case, C&G achieved a complete victory against the SEC following a two week jury trial in the representation of a former hedge fund analyst in an insider trading case. Mark was subsequently selected as a Litigator of the Week by AmLaw Litigation Daily. Mark also led a C&G team to a landmark victory in a high-profile FCPA case on behalf of a former investment analyst with one of the world’s largest publicly traded hedge funds, which resulted in C&G’s nomination for Global Investigation Review’s Most Important Court Case of the Year award in 2018.
Since 2011, he has served as the court-appointed monitor for the largest fire department in the country. The monitorship involves implementing the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York’s remedial order following a lawsuit alleging racial discrimination.
Prior to co-founding Cohen & Gresser, Mark served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and formerly practiced with Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson. He is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Michigan Law School, where he was a Note Editor of the Law Review.
Mark has been ranked by the Chambers USA guide as a Leading Individual in the white collar crime and government investigations category each year since 2013 and has been recognized in its securities litigation category since 2016. Chambers USA also nominated Mark for its White Collar Crime & Government Investigations individual award in 2016. Clients refer to Mark as “a skilled litigator” who is “smart, practical, persuasive, and diplomatic.” He is recognized in The Legal 500’s U.S. guide in the categories of corporate investigations and general commercial disputes, and is ranked as a Leading Lawyer in the securities litigation defense and white collar criminal defense categories. The Legal 500 commentary describes him as “an outstanding trial lawyer and strategist who has excellent judgment,” and “highly intelligent and strategic, great on his feet, has outstanding judgment and instincts, a calming and reassuring presence as a counselor, and is appropriately aggressive and tough when and as needed.” The guide has further described Mark as a “formidable” trial lawyer within the securities litigation space. Both Chambers and The Legal 500 commentary refer to Mark as an excellent trial attorney noting that “he stands out for his combination of skill, thoughtfulness and tenacity during investigations with seasoned trial expertise during litigation.” Mark is regularly recognized by The Best Lawyers in America for white collar criminal defense, and is a former member of Law360‘s editorial advisory board for its white collar coverage. He has also been named a Local Litigation Star in each edition of Benchmark Litigation since 2012. Super Lawyers has recognized Mark on its annual New York Metro Super Lawyers list for business litigation each year since 2008, has named him one of the top 100 lawyers in the New York metropolitan area each year since 2014, and named him one of the top 10 lawyers in the New York Metropolital area in 2023. Mark has also been recognized by Lawdragon as one of the 500 Leading Litigators in America.
For many years, he has been a visiting lecturer at the Sorbonne in Paris, teaching a course to French law students on U.S. white collar criminal law.
Commonwealth Professor Law and Business Advising, Widener University Commonwealth Law School
Professor Christian Johnson has taught law for over twenty-five years at Loyola Chicago, Utah, and Widener, and is a former law school dean. He is consultant for CFTC (Office of Commissioner Kristin Johnson) and was also a consultant for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Professor Johnson regularly serves as an expert witness and does training and consulting for large financial institutions on capital markets finance documentation. He publishes extensively on capital markets and corporate finance, having written (and co-written) numerous books and monographs and more than three dozen articles on these topics. Prior to teaching law, he was an associate for Milbank, Tweed in New York, and Mayer, Brown in Chicago. He was also a CPA for Price Waterhouse. Professor Johnson received his law degree from Columbia Law School where he was the Executive Editor of the Columbia Law Review.
Partner, Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP; Special Professor of Law, Maurice A. Dean School of Law, Hofstra University
Gary E. Kalbaugh is a nationally recognized leader in commodities, futures, and derivatives law.
Gary is a partner in the New York office of Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP as well as a Special Professor of Law at the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University, where he teaches derivatives law and banking law.
A preeminent authority in the derivatives field, Gary is the author of the principal treatise Derivatives Law and Regulation (3rd ed. 2021) and serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Futures and Derivatives Law Report, the foremost industry publication. He is a past chair of the New York City Bar Association’s Committee on the Regulation of Futures and Derivatives and has over 15 years of experience as a professor teaching derivatives and banking law.
Gary is the leading derivatives lawyer in the digital assets space, and one of few to truly understand the technical side of emerging financial technology. He serves on the CFTC’s Future of Finance Subcommittee, reflecting his recognized leadership at the intersection of financial regulation and emerging technologies. A frequent speaker, writer, and commentator on derivatives, banking law, artificial intelligence, and digital assets regulation, he has served as conference co-chair for the American Bar Association’s “Artificial Intelligence and Derivatives Market” conference and regularly speaks at major industry conferences on cutting-edge issues in financial regulation and technology. Gary is sought after as a thought leader on the evolving landscape of digital asset regulation and the regulatory implications of AI in financial markets.
At ING, Gary served as Deputy General Counsel and Director, where he chaired swap dealer and security-based swap dealer regulatory committees and provided strategic leadership on U.S., European, and other regulations impacting the organization. He had global responsibility for U.S. derivatives regulatory issues and maintained strong relationships with regulators. Gary also co-developed ING legal’s global artificial intelligence training program and was responsible for U.S. regulatory issues relating to ING’s blockchain-based pilot programs and crypto initiatives.
Previously, Gary served as a lecturer-in-law at Columbia Law School and held senior roles at WestLB, where he was executive director, counsel, and chief U.S. data protection officer and chaired the global Dodd-Frank and underwriting committees. He began his career as an associate at a notable international firm.
Assistant United States Attorney, United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York
Nicolas Roos is an Assistant United States Attorney at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Mr. Roos joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2016, and has been a member of the Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force and the Public Corruption Unit. Mr. Roos was one of the lead prosecutors in United States v. Samuel Bankman-Fried and in the other criminal cases relating to the collapse of FTX. He previously also worked on criminal prosecutions relating to insider trading in cryptocurrencies and digital tokens, including United States v. Nathaniel Chastain and United States v. Ishan Wahi. Mr. Roos is a graduate of the University of Vermont, the University of Chicago, and Stanford Law School.
Executive Director & Secretary, American Civil Rights Project
Dan Morenoff is the executive director at the American Civil Rights Project and an adjunct fellow at the Manhattan Institute.
His work focuses on protecting and, where necessary, restoring the primacy of all Americans' shared civil rights against the identitarian alternative.
Before practicing law, Morenoff served on the legislative staff of Sen. Phil Gramm (R-TX). Morenoff holds a B.A. from Columbia College of Columbia University in the City of New York and a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School. He has also served as an officer or director of several community organizations in Dallas, Texas.
Founder, Chairman, and CEO, Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law
Hon. Kenneth L. Marcus is an internationally recognized expert in civil and human rights, as well as a leader in the fight against anti-Semitism on and off university campuses. He is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, the leading civil rights legal organization fighting against anti-Semitism. The New York Times has called him “The Man Who Helped Redefine Campus Anti-Semitism.” He been described, in that paper, as “the single most effective and respected force” to combat anti-Semitism.
During his public service career, Marcus served as Assistant U.S. Secretary of Education for Civil Rights; Staff Director at the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights; and General Deputy Assistant U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity.
In academia, he serves as Professorial Lecturer in Law at George Washington University. He formerly held the Lillie and Nathan Ackerman Chair in Equality and Justice in America at the City University of New York’s Bernard M. Baruch College, served as Visiting Research Professor of Political Science at Yeshiva University, and was a Board of Visitors member George Mason University and Distinguished Senior Fellow at that university’s law school. He is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Contemporary Antisemitism and previously served as Associate Editor of the Journal for the Study of Anti-Semitism.
Marcus is also author of The Definition of Anti-Semitism (Oxford University Press) and Jewish Identity and Civil Rights in America (Cambridge University Press). He has published widely in academic journals as well as in more popular venues such as The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Newsweek, USA Today, and Politico. He is a graduate of Williams College and the University of California at Berkeley School of Law.
Earlier in his career, he was a litigation partner in two major law firms, where he conducted complex commercial and constitutional litigation. He also serves as Chairman emeritus of the Executive Committee of the Federalist Society for Law & Public Policy Civil Rights Practice Group.
Partner, Lewis Brisbois
Sarah E. Lang is a partner in the New York office of Lewis Brisbois and a member of the Appellate Practice. Ms. Lang has represented clients at all levels of state and federal courts, including the New York State Appellate Division, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court. The primary focus of her practice is drafting and arguing substantive motions and appeals before the federal courts and New York’s trial and appellate courts in substantive areas including general liability, New York Labor Law, medical malpractice, premises liability, and rideshare and transportation matters, among others. She also has extensive experience representing clients, including religious institutions, in matters arising under Title VII, the First Amendment, RLUIPA, New York’s City and State Human Rights Laws, New York’s Religious Corporations Law, and New York’s Real Property Tax Law. This includes federal jury trial experience and providing preventive advice and counseling. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Lang clerked on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, as well as the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. She also previously served as an Attorney Advisor for the United States Department of Education.
Senior Counsel, First Liberty Institute
Stephanie N. Taub serves as Senior Counsel with First Liberty Institute, focusing on litigation, appellate advocacy, and legal education.
While at First Liberty, her article on the rights of faith-based organizations under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 has been published in the Texas Review of Law and Politics. She has also authored pieces published in National Review, the Daily Signal, the Washington Times, the Des Moines Register, and the New York Daily News. In 2017, Taub was named one of 15 recipients of the James Wilson Fellowship in natural law.
Before joining First Liberty, Taub worked as a law clerk to the Honorable Reed O’Connor in the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Texas.
Taub is a Harvard Law School graduate in the class of 2014 and a Blackstone Fellow in the class of 2012. During law school, she served as Co-President of the HLS Christian Fellowship and Managing Technical Editor of the Harvard Human Rights Journal. Taub spent her law school summers defending religious liberty in public interest law firms and clerking in the Texas Office of Solicitor General.
For her undergraduate studies at the University of Southern California, Taub graduated summa cum laude, majoring in Business Administration with a minor in Philosophy.
Counsel, First Liberty Institute
Kayla Toney is Associate Counsel with First Liberty Institute, concentrating on religious liberty matters and First Amendment rights for clients of all faiths.
Prior to joining First Liberty, Kayla litigated religious freedom cases as a Constitutional Law Fellow at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. She clerked for Judge Gregory E. Maggs on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, where she gained valuable experience in the military justice system. Kayla also worked as a litigation associate in the D.C. office of Winston & Strawn LLP, where she enjoyed working on pro bono religious liberty matters.
Kayla earned her law degree from George Washington University, where she served as president of the Federalist Society chapter, a member of the GW International Law Review, and a writing fellow. She graduated summa cum laude from Grove City College with a degree in history and economics.
A native of Michigan, Kayla is based in First Liberty’s Washington, D.C. office and is licensed to practice law in Virginia and D.C.
Topics
The Ministerial Exception’s Unrealized Promise of Early and Straightforward Resolution of Church Autonomy Matters
The ministerial exception in employment cases is a subpart of the church autonomy doctrine. The...
A Debate on SCOTUS Reform: Can Supreme Court Justices Be Term-Limited?
New York City Lawyers Chapter
New York City, NYRacially Discriminatory Corporate Policies: Who's Liable?
Dan Morenoff
Laws banning discrimination have been on the books across America for more than a century...
Cryptocurrency and the Bankman-Fried Litigation – Lessons Learned
The Landmark Case Of Shaare Tefila v. Cobb
Kenneth L. Marcus
A review of Annalise E. Glauz-Todrank, Judging Jewish Identity in the United States (Lexington Books 2023)...
Groff v. DeJoy: The Death of the “De Minimis” Test Breathes Life Back into Religious Accommodation
Sarah E. Lang
In a unanimous decision last June, the Supreme Court in Groff v. DeJoy heightened the...
Topics
Crypto King Cites Recent SCOTUS Ruling in Effort to Dismiss Charges
Everyone deserves their day in court. Disgraced former crypto king and FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried...
Topics
Don’t Use My Trademarks in Your NFTs! The Hermes v. Rothschild Verdict
On February 8, 2023, a jury in the Southern District of New York returned a...
A Cord of Three Strands: How Kennedy v. Bremerton School District Changed Free Exercise, Establishment, and Free Speech Clause Doctrine
Stephanie Taub, Kayla Ann Toney
In 2015, Bremerton High School football coach Joseph Kennedy lost his job for kneeling at...
Topics
Is Crypto Insider Trading Really “Insider Trading”?: Prosecuting Fraud in the Crypto Space
Cryptocurrency conjures images of both the Wild West and the Wolf of Wall Street. Crypto...