Associate Attorney, Criminal Justice Legal Foundation
Kymberlee C. Stapleton is an Associate Attorney at the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation.
Ms. Stapleton attended California State University, Chico where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Science in 1997. While at Chico, Ms. Stapleton was a member of the Gamma Phi Beta International Sorority, the Golden Key National Honor Society, and the National Order of Omega. She received her J.D. in 2000 from Willamette University College of Law in Salem, Oregon, where she served as the Note/Comment Editor of - and was published in - the Willamette Law Review. While at Willamette, she worked as a law clerk for the Oregon Department of Justice - Trial Division, Special Litigation Unit.
After graduating from Willamette, Ms. Stapleton worked as a Judicial Clerk for the Honorable Robert Wollheim at the Oregon Court of Appeals in Salem, Oregon. In 2002, she returned to California and was a Fellowship Attorney at CJLF. When her year-long fellowship term at CJLF came to an end, she worked as a Judicial Clerk for the Honorable Christopher M. Klein at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, E.D. of California. While there, she primarily researched and wrote bench memoranda and proposed draft opinions for the Ninth Circuit’s Bankruptcy Appellate Panel. Ms. Stapleton returned to CJLF as an Associate Attorney in January 2016.
Ms. Stapleton is a member of the Oregon State Bar (inactive) and the California State Bar.
Partner, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
Andy excels at solving complex problems for his clients using a variety of effective strategies. As former Chief Deputy Attorney General for the State of Wisconsin, Andy Cook has extensive experience representing businesses before state Attorneys General involving investigations and lawsuits. His strong relationships with Attorneys General and their senior staff frequently facilitate the successful resolution of client issues through diplomacy and negotiations. When litigation becomes necessary, Andy effectively advocates for clients throughout the litigation process.
Andy combines his legal expertise in numerous areas of law covered by state Attorneys General, an understanding of how state AG offices operate, and vast knowledge of legal and regulatory issues facing his clients. This substantive and comprehensive legal approach is crucial to effectively representing clients before state Attorneys General. Andy also has substantial experience drafting and enacting complex civil liability reforms before state legislatures to successfully address client goals.
Andy’s main practice focuses on advising Fortune 500 companies before state Attorneys General in the areas of antitrust, consumer protection, False Claims Act, environmental law, and cybersecurity and data privacy. Andy, in collaboration with a team of attorneys, successfully navigated a client through antitrust regulatory review by state Attorneys General in one of the nation’s largest mergers of two major telecommunication companies. Andy also worked with a team of lawyers representing a large corporation involving the multistate opioids litigation brought by state Attorneys General.
Andy gained valuable experience serving as Deputy Attorney General for the State of Wisconsin where he was the second in command of the 700-plus state agency. In his role as Chief Deputy Attorney General, Andy oversaw the day-to-day operations at the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ); directed the State’s litigation strategy; negotiated, reviewed, and approved all settlements; drafted and reviewed attorney general opinions; managed the agency’s budget; oversaw civil and criminal investigations handled by DOJ; and managed DOJ’s legislative agenda.
Andy played college hockey and remains active by running, cross country skiing, and playing golf. On the weekends, Andy and his wife enjoy watching their kids’ sporting events, including soccer, baseball, gymnastics, and track. In his rare spare time, Andy reads history books.
President and General Counsel, Public Interest Legal Foundation
J. Christian Adams is the President and General Counsel of the Public Interest Legal Foundation. He served from 2005 to 2010 in the Voting Section at the United States Department of Justice Voting Section. President Trump appointed Adams to the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity. President Trump also appointed Adams as a Commissioner to the United States Commission on Civil Rights where he also now serves with a term through 2025. He has been involved in election law lawsuits in 33 states and the territory of Guam. He has represented multiple presidential campaigns in election litigation. He has a law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law. He is a member of the South Carolina and Virginia Bars.
Litigation Counsel, Public Interest Legal Foundation
Kaylan L. Phillips joined Public Interest Legal Foundation in 2012. She has litigated election law and constitutional law cases across the nation, from Washington state to Maine. Kaylan has extensive experience at every level of litigation in state and federal court, including the Supreme Court. She also has experience representing clients before federal and state administrative agencies. Before joining Public Interest Legal Foundation, Kaylan was an associate at The Bopp Law Firm where her federal practice focused on election law. Kaylan co-authored a law review article entitled “The Limits of Citizens United” (2012) with James Bopp, Jr. Kaylan has also authored numerous amicus curiae briefs on key election law issues such as “one-person, one-vote” and alien voting. Kaylan received her B.A. (with honors, 2005) from the University of Oklahoma and J.D. (2008) from the University of Tulsa. She is admitted to practice law in the State of Oklahoma, State of Indiana, the District of Columbia, and in several federal district and appellate courts.
Of Counsel, Shook Hardy & Bacon LLP
Chris’ public policy work focuses on tort law and civil justice system reform. His work is generally divided among legislative efforts, appellate litigation, and liability counseling. Chris has drafted model legislation to be introduced on the state and federal level, testified on numerous legislative initiatives, and authored amicus briefs to state supreme courts and federal appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. He also serves as an adviser to various business groups and trade associations interested in tort liability issues and civil justice system reform.
In addition, Chris is an elected member of the American Law Institute (ALI), and has assisted in the development of a variety of ALI projects implicating liability law. He has also been a recurrent guest lecturer at the U.S. Department of Justice and Wake Forest University School of Law, as well as a speaker at numerous legal conferences and industry group meetings, on issues related to tort law. Chris has additionally produced significant scholarship in the area of liability law. He has authored more than 50 legal publications on a wide range of liability issues, including articles in the Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, UPenn Journal of Business Law, and Duke Journal of Constitutional Law & Public Policy, and has served as a contributor to tort casebooks.
Partner and Co-Chair, Public Policy Group, Shook Hardy & Bacon LLP
Mark Behrens co-chairs Shook's Washington, DC-based Public Policy Practice Group and is a leading national expert on civil justice issues with over thirty years of experience. A substantial part of his practice is working to improve the civil litigation environment through state and federal legislation; in the courts through amicus curiae briefs; through legal scholarship and judicial education; and in the court of public opinion.
Mark is actively involved in civil justice reform efforts at the federal and state levels. He has testified before the U.S. Congress and most state legislatures on behalf of business and civil justice organizations. Mark also has an active amicus brief practice specializing in tort liability and civil justice issues. He has authored or co-authored over 150 amicus briefs in cases before the United States Supreme Court and federal and state appellate courts on behalf of business, civil justice, and defense lawyer organizations. In addition, Mark routinely files comments on behalf of business, civil justice, and defense lawyer organizations regarding potential changes to federal and state court rules. He chairs the International Association of Defense Counsel’s (IADC) Civil Justice Response Committee and serves on the Board of Directors of Lawyers for Civil Justice (LCJ).
Mark is a member of the American Law Institute (ALI). He received his J.D. in 1990 from Vanderbilt University Law School, where he was a member of the Vanderbilt Law Review. He received his B.A. in economics from the University of Wisconsin in 1987.
Senior Attorney, Institute for Justice
Sam Gedge is a senior attorney at the Institute for Justice. He joined IJ in June 2015 and litigates cases to promote economic liberty, protect political speech, and secure individuals’ rights to private property.
In 2017, Sam was named IJ’s second Elfie Gallun Fellow for Freedom and the Constitution. The fellowship comes with an emphasis on publishing written materials and speaking to students and others about the vital role the U.S. Constitution plays in protecting our most precious freedoms.
In his time at IJ, Sam has launched cases battling civil forfeiture and overzealous licensing boards, which generated widespread coverage and conversation in media outlets from Wired and The Atlantic to London’s Daily Mail.
Before joining IJ, Sam was an attorney at Wiley Rein LLP, in Washington, D.C., where he focused on litigation and election law. He is a former law clerk to Judge Raymond W. Gruender of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.
Sam received his law degree cum laude from Harvard Law School in 2010.
Attorney, Institute for Justice
John Wrench is a Constitutional Law Fellow at the Institute for Justice.
John grew up outside of Ithaca, New York, and received his law degree from the Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 2019. During law school, he served as editor in chief of the Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law and was a member of the Federalist Society. John interned in his law school’s First Amendment Litigation Clinic and was a judicial extern to the Honorable Paul E. Davison in the Southern District of New York. John graduated from Pace University in 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Religious Studies.
Necessary & Proper Episode 59: Presidential Power: A Historical Perspective on Today
On November 2, 2020, the Federalist Society's Illinois Student Chapter hosted Logan Beirne for a...
Topics
United for Uzeugbunam
The Federalist Society is pleased to announce its Student Blog Initiative, a project of the...
State Court Docket Watch: Foster v. Commissioner of Correction
Kymberlee Stapleton
Correctional facilities across the United States house and employ large numbers of people. Keeping these...
State Court Docket Watch: Hawkins v. Wisconsin Elections Commission
Andrew Cook
Background Wisconsin was one of the few swing states in 2016 and was considered a...
State Court Docket Watch: Pennsylvania Democratic Party v. Boockvar
J. Christian Adams, Kaylan L. Phillips
Pennsylvania, like most states in 2020, has seen contested election litigation. In Pennsylvania Democratic Party...
State Court Docket Watch: Berry v. City of Chicago
Christopher Appel
In Berry v. City of Chicago,[1] the Illinois Supreme Court held that plaintiffs alleging an...
State Court Docket Watch: McClay v. Airport Management Services, LLC
Mark A. Behrens
In McClay v. Airport Management Services, LLC,[1] the Tennessee Supreme Court upheld the state’s $750,000...
Necessary & Proper Episode 59: Presidential Power: A Historical Perspective on Today
Champaign, ILOpen Questions in Lieu v. Federal Election Commission: Due Process, Adverseness, & Article III Standing
Sam Gedge, John Wrench
Note from the Editor: The Federalist Society takes no positions on particular legal and public...
2020 Annual Dinner & Awards
San Diego Lawyers Chapter
San Diego , CA