Professor of Law, Widener University Commonwealth Law School
Senior Counsel for Environmental and Regulatory Affairs, Boeing
Adam Gustafson is a Senior Counsel for Environmental and Regulatory Affairs at Boeing.
Prior to joining Boeing, he served as Deputy General Counsel at the Environmental Protection Agency. Prior to that, he was a partner at Boyden Gray & Associates, where he represented States, federal judges, environmental groups, biofuel producers, agricultural interests, and public policy organizations, on such issues as the constitutional separation of powers, the First Amendment, automotive regulations, environmental computer models, healthcare regulation, and judicial deference to federal agencies.
Mr. Gustafson received his J.D. in 2009 from Yale Law School, where he was an editor of the Yale Law Journal, a managing editor of the Yale Journal of Law & the Humanities, and an executive editor of the symposium issue of the Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy.
Mr. Gustafson served as a Vice President of the Yale Law School Federalist Society. He was a Coker Fellow, and his legal writing won the Joseph A. Chubb Competition Prize and the Edward D. Robbins Memorial Prize.
Mr. Gustafson graduated with high distinction in 2005 from the University of Virginia, where he was an Echols Scholar, a member of the Raven Society, a member of the rowing team, and a Lawn resident.
Before joining Boyden Gray & Associates, Mr. Gustafson was an associate at Cooper & Kirk, where he specialized in appellate litigation. Mr. Gustafson served as a law clerk to Judge Richard R. Clifton of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and to Judge Janice Rogers Brown of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
Professor of Law and Executive Director, Law and Economics Center, Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University
Donald Kochan is Professor of Law and Executive Director of the Law & Economics Center (LEC). Professor Kochan is an elected member of the American Law Institute (ALI) and serves as an Adviser to ALI's Restatement of the Law Fourth, Property project. Professor Kochan is a Nonresident Scholar at the Center for the Constitution at Georgetown University Law Center, where he was a Visiting Scholar in residence during Fall 2018. Before joining the Antonin Scalia Law School faculty, he was the Parker S. Kennedy Professor in Law at Chapman University’s Dale E. Fowler School of Law from 2004 to 2020. From 2003 to 2004, Professor Kochan was an Olin Fellow at the University of Virginia School of Law. During 2002-2003, he was a Visiting Assistant Professor of Law at George Mason’s Scalia Law School.
Professor Kochan’s scholarship focuses on areas of property law, constitutional law, administrative law, local government law, natural resources and environmental law, and law & economics. He has published several books and more than 50 scholarly articles and essays in well-regarded law journals. His work has been cited in more than a dozen state and federal court opinions, in more than 75 briefs filed in state and federal courts including more than 25 filed in the U.S. Supreme Court, in dozens of books and treatises, and in more than 800 scholarly articles.
Professor Kochan received his JD from Cornell Law School, where he was a John M. Olin Scholar in Law and Economics and managing editor of the Cornell International Law Journal. During law school, he also served as editor and executive editor of the Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy symposium issues in 1997 and 1998. He received his BA from Western Michigan University, magna cum laude, with majors in both political science and philosophy, where he studied as the John W. Gill Medallion Scholar and was honored as the Presidential Scholar (awarded to the top graduate in the political science department).
After graduating from law school, Professor Kochan was a law clerk to The Honorable Richard F. Suhrheinrich of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Following his clerkship, Professor Kochan was an associate with the firm of Crowell & Moring LLP in Washington, D.C., where he specialized in natural resources & environmental law as well as tort, products, and consumer civil litigation & legislative affairs.
Professor of Law Emeritus; Senior Fellow for Climate Policy, Environmental Law Center, Vermont Law School
Patrick A. Parenteau is Emeritus Professor of Law and Senior Fellow for Climate Policy in the Environmental Law Center at Vermont Law School. He previously served as Director of the Environmental Law Center and was the founding director of the EAC (formerly the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic) in 2004.
Professor Parenteau has an extensive background in environmental and natural resources law. His previous positions include Vice President for Conservation with the National Wildlife Federation in Washington, DC (1976-1984); Regional Counsel to the New England Regional Office of the EPA in Boston (1984-1987); Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (1987-1989); and Senior Counsel with the Perkins Coie law firm in Portland, Oregon (1989-1993).
Professor Parenteau has been involved in drafting, litigating, implementing, teaching, and writing about environmental law and policy for over three decades. His current focus is on confronting the profound challenges of climate change through his teaching, publishing, public speaking and litigation.
Professor Parenteau is a Fulbright US Scholar and a Fellow in the American College of Environmental Lawyers. In 2005 he received the National Wildlife Federation’s Conservation Achievement Award in recognition of his contributions to wildlife conservation and environmental education. In 2016 he received the Kerry Rydberg Award for excellence in public interest environmental law.
Professor Parenteau holds a B.S. from Regis University, a J.D. from Creighton University, and an LLM in Environmental Law from the George Washington U.
Charles Yates is an attorney in Pacific Legal Foundation’s environmental practice group, where he litigates to defend private property rights and uphold the structural protections guaranteed by the Constitution’s separation of powers.
His inspiration to focus on environmental law comes from the special case of government overreach it presents, where individual rights too often give way to collectivist notions and where misguided government policies create a cure worse than the disease. Charles has a particularly strong belief in the important role that the productive use of natural resources plays for human flourishing. To these ends, his practice at PLF focuses primarily on the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act, and related regulatory issues.
Charles credits his strong belief in the principles of individual liberty and limited, constitutional government to his family. His personal philosophy developed further while studying the works of Adam Smith, John Locke, James Madison, and other classical liberals. Born and raised in Australia, Charles has always admired the U.S. Constitution as the purest and most enduring application of the ideals of individual liberty and limited government. It was these influences that impressed upon him the desire to pursue a career in public interest litigation.
After obtaining a B.A. in political science and international relations from the University of Western Australia, Charles moved to the U.S., where he earned his J.D. magna cum laude from the University of Baltimore School of Law. During law school, he served as president of his school’s chapter of The Federalist Society and was an editor of the University of Baltimore Law Review. Other highlights from his law school days include an internship at the Cato Institute and a clerkship at the Institute for Justice.
Charles lives in Sacramento with his wife Maxine. In his spare time, he enjoys reading and playing the bass guitar.
Founder, President, and General Counsel, Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty
Rick Esenberg is the founder and current President and General Counsel of the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, a rapidly expanding law and policy organization headquartered in Milwaukee. Under Rick’s leadership, WILL has grown into one of the more active state-based think tanks and litigation centers in the country. Rick is a frequent litigator in state and federal courts and nationally recognized scholar and commentator on constitutional law, particularly the First Amendment’s guarantees of freedom of speech and religion. He is one of the leading experts on the Wisconsin Constitution and a frequent advocate before the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Rick’s work seeks to advance the rule of law and individual liberty, formed by a robust civil society that forms individual and community character, preserving the wisdom of the past and an openness to the future.
Rick’s commentary has been featured in such outlets as the Wall Street Journal, National Review, Weekly Standard, Real Clear Politics, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Washington Examiner. Formerly on the faculty of Marquette University Law School, his scholarship has appeared in such publications as the Harvard Law Review, Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, Wake Forest Law Review and William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal. Back when they were a thing, he operated a blog called Shark and Shepherd where he tried to suggest something about the duality of man – “the Jungian thing.”
Rick holds a J.D., magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review, and a B.A., summa cum laude, in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In addition to service on the Marquette Faculty, he was formerly a litigation partner at Foley & Lardner and General Counsel of an international manufacturing firm headquartered in Wisconsin. He lives in Mequon Wisconsin with his wife Karen, golden retrievers Cooper and Riley and more books than he can find places for.
Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Devon Westhill is the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The U.S. Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s nomination of Westhill on October 7, 2025.
Westhill returns to the USDA where he previously headed the civil rights office as Deputy Assistant Secretary in President Trump’s first term. His previous government appointments also include service at the U.S. Department of Labor, liaison to the Administrative Conference of the U.S., and liaison to the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Prior to returning to government service, Westhill was President and General Counsel of a nonprofit civil rights organization.
Westhill has testified on civil rights matters before Congress, federal agencies, and as an expert witness in federal court. He has spoken hundreds of times at college campuses, conferences, and on radio and TV programs, and he is frequently quoted in print publications, and his writing has appeared in numerous national outlets. A U.S. Navy veteran, Westhill earned his BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his JD from the University of Florida.
Founder, Jarchow Law, LLC
Adam Jarchow is a candidate for Wisconsin Attorney General. Adam has practiced law for nearly 20 years and helps his wife, Barbara, run their small businesses. In 2014, Adam was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly, where he fought for smaller, limited government. Adam was the lead author of several reforms that were signed into law by Governor Walker. He is an avid sportsman and lover of the outdoors. Adam has spent nearly a decade as a volunteer firefighter with the Apple River Fire Department. He also helped start the Polk County K-9 Association, which raises money for the Polk County Sheriff’s Department K-9 Unit. Adam received his J.D. from the University of Florida College of Law.
Partner, Foley & Lardner LLP
Matthew Krueger is a partner in the Government Enforcement Defense and Investigations practice group at Foley & Lardner LLP. Before joining Foley, Matt served as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin after being recommended by a bipartisan nominating commission. As the district’s chief federal law enforcement officer, Matt supervised all criminal and civil litigation involving the United States in 28 counties. He also served for five years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, prosecuting a broad array of federal crimes. Before serving in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Matt practiced trial and appellate litigation at an international law firm in Washington, D.C. He clerked for the Hon. Paul V. Niemeyer on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and served as a Bristow Fellow in the Solicitor General’s Office, helping represent the United States before the Supreme Court. Matt received his J.D., summa cum laude, from the University of Minnesota Law School.
Founder & General Counsel, Amos Center for Justice and Liberty
Karen Mueller is a candidate for Wisconsin Attorney General. Karen is a civil rights attorney from Chippewa Falls, where she resides with her family. She is the Founder and General Counsel of the Amos Center for Justice and Liberty, which defends those who have experienced a violation of one or more of their liberties by governmental agents or by private actors carrying out the work, purposes, or goals of the government to the detriment of citizens. Throughout her legal career, Karen has been a civil rights and employment law attorney in her own private practice and has worked with discrimination and harassment claims. Karen received her J.D. from the University of North Dakota School of Law.
District Attorney, Fon du Lac County
Eric Toney is a candidate for Wisconsin Attorney General. Eric is Fond du Lac County District Attorney and President-Elect of the Wisconsin District Attorney’s Association (WDAA). Toney has successfully handled a wide array of cases ranging from cold case and intentional homicide, sexual assault, domestic violence, violent crime, gun crime, financial crimes, racketeering cases and more. First elected in 2012, District Attorney Toney is serving in his third term as Fond du Lac District Attorney. Toney is the current President-Elect of the WDAA. He’s served as Chairman of the Legislative Committee and Communications Committee, and he’s a former Secretary/Treasurer of the Association. Eric received his J.D. from the Hamline University School of Law.
Founder, President, and General Counsel, Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty
Rick Esenberg is the founder and current President and General Counsel of the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, a rapidly expanding law and policy organization headquartered in Milwaukee. Under Rick’s leadership, WILL has grown into one of the more active state-based think tanks and litigation centers in the country. Rick is a frequent litigator in state and federal courts and nationally recognized scholar and commentator on constitutional law, particularly the First Amendment’s guarantees of freedom of speech and religion. He is one of the leading experts on the Wisconsin Constitution and a frequent advocate before the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Rick’s work seeks to advance the rule of law and individual liberty, formed by a robust civil society that forms individual and community character, preserving the wisdom of the past and an openness to the future.
Rick’s commentary has been featured in such outlets as the Wall Street Journal, National Review, Weekly Standard, Real Clear Politics, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Washington Examiner. Formerly on the faculty of Marquette University Law School, his scholarship has appeared in such publications as the Harvard Law Review, Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, Wake Forest Law Review and William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal. Back when they were a thing, he operated a blog called Shark and Shepherd where he tried to suggest something about the duality of man – “the Jungian thing.”
Rick holds a J.D., magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review, and a B.A., summa cum laude, in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In addition to service on the Marquette Faculty, he was formerly a litigation partner at Foley & Lardner and General Counsel of an international manufacturing firm headquartered in Wisconsin. He lives in Mequon Wisconsin with his wife Karen, golden retrievers Cooper and Riley and more books than he can find places for.
Founder, President, and General Counsel, Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty
Rick Esenberg is the founder and current President and General Counsel of the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, a rapidly expanding law and policy organization headquartered in Milwaukee. Under Rick’s leadership, WILL has grown into one of the more active state-based think tanks and litigation centers in the country. Rick is a frequent litigator in state and federal courts and nationally recognized scholar and commentator on constitutional law, particularly the First Amendment’s guarantees of freedom of speech and religion. He is one of the leading experts on the Wisconsin Constitution and a frequent advocate before the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Rick’s work seeks to advance the rule of law and individual liberty, formed by a robust civil society that forms individual and community character, preserving the wisdom of the past and an openness to the future.
Rick’s commentary has been featured in such outlets as the Wall Street Journal, National Review, Weekly Standard, Real Clear Politics, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Washington Examiner. Formerly on the faculty of Marquette University Law School, his scholarship has appeared in such publications as the Harvard Law Review, Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, Wake Forest Law Review and William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal. Back when they were a thing, he operated a blog called Shark and Shepherd where he tried to suggest something about the duality of man – “the Jungian thing.”
Rick holds a J.D., magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review, and a B.A., summa cum laude, in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In addition to service on the Marquette Faculty, he was formerly a litigation partner at Foley & Lardner and General Counsel of an international manufacturing firm headquartered in Wisconsin. He lives in Mequon Wisconsin with his wife Karen, golden retrievers Cooper and Riley and more books than he can find places for.
Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Devon Westhill is the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The U.S. Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s nomination of Westhill on October 7, 2025.
Westhill returns to the USDA where he previously headed the civil rights office as Deputy Assistant Secretary in President Trump’s first term. His previous government appointments also include service at the U.S. Department of Labor, liaison to the Administrative Conference of the U.S., and liaison to the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Prior to returning to government service, Westhill was President and General Counsel of a nonprofit civil rights organization.
Westhill has testified on civil rights matters before Congress, federal agencies, and as an expert witness in federal court. He has spoken hundreds of times at college campuses, conferences, and on radio and TV programs, and he is frequently quoted in print publications, and his writing has appeared in numerous national outlets. A U.S. Navy veteran, Westhill earned his BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his JD from the University of Florida.
Founder, President, and General Counsel, Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty
Rick Esenberg is the founder and current President and General Counsel of the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, a rapidly expanding law and policy organization headquartered in Milwaukee. Under Rick’s leadership, WILL has grown into one of the more active state-based think tanks and litigation centers in the country. Rick is a frequent litigator in state and federal courts and nationally recognized scholar and commentator on constitutional law, particularly the First Amendment’s guarantees of freedom of speech and religion. He is one of the leading experts on the Wisconsin Constitution and a frequent advocate before the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Rick’s work seeks to advance the rule of law and individual liberty, formed by a robust civil society that forms individual and community character, preserving the wisdom of the past and an openness to the future.
Rick’s commentary has been featured in such outlets as the Wall Street Journal, National Review, Weekly Standard, Real Clear Politics, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Washington Examiner. Formerly on the faculty of Marquette University Law School, his scholarship has appeared in such publications as the Harvard Law Review, Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, Wake Forest Law Review and William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal. Back when they were a thing, he operated a blog called Shark and Shepherd where he tried to suggest something about the duality of man – “the Jungian thing.”
Rick holds a J.D., magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review, and a B.A., summa cum laude, in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In addition to service on the Marquette Faculty, he was formerly a litigation partner at Foley & Lardner and General Counsel of an international manufacturing firm headquartered in Wisconsin. He lives in Mequon Wisconsin with his wife Karen, golden retrievers Cooper and Riley and more books than he can find places for.
Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Devon Westhill is the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The U.S. Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s nomination of Westhill on October 7, 2025.
Westhill returns to the USDA where he previously headed the civil rights office as Deputy Assistant Secretary in President Trump’s first term. His previous government appointments also include service at the U.S. Department of Labor, liaison to the Administrative Conference of the U.S., and liaison to the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Prior to returning to government service, Westhill was President and General Counsel of a nonprofit civil rights organization.
Westhill has testified on civil rights matters before Congress, federal agencies, and as an expert witness in federal court. He has spoken hundreds of times at college campuses, conferences, and on radio and TV programs, and he is frequently quoted in print publications, and his writing has appeared in numerous national outlets. A U.S. Navy veteran, Westhill earned his BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his JD from the University of Florida.
Founder, Jarchow Law, LLC
Adam Jarchow is a candidate for Wisconsin Attorney General. Adam has practiced law for nearly 20 years and helps his wife, Barbara, run their small businesses. In 2014, Adam was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly, where he fought for smaller, limited government. Adam was the lead author of several reforms that were signed into law by Governor Walker. He is an avid sportsman and lover of the outdoors. Adam has spent nearly a decade as a volunteer firefighter with the Apple River Fire Department. He also helped start the Polk County K-9 Association, which raises money for the Polk County Sheriff’s Department K-9 Unit. Adam received his J.D. from the University of Florida College of Law.
Partner, Foley & Lardner LLP
Matthew Krueger is a partner in the Government Enforcement Defense and Investigations practice group at Foley & Lardner LLP. Before joining Foley, Matt served as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin after being recommended by a bipartisan nominating commission. As the district’s chief federal law enforcement officer, Matt supervised all criminal and civil litigation involving the United States in 28 counties. He also served for five years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, prosecuting a broad array of federal crimes. Before serving in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Matt practiced trial and appellate litigation at an international law firm in Washington, D.C. He clerked for the Hon. Paul V. Niemeyer on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and served as a Bristow Fellow in the Solicitor General’s Office, helping represent the United States before the Supreme Court. Matt received his J.D., summa cum laude, from the University of Minnesota Law School.
Founder & General Counsel, Amos Center for Justice and Liberty
Karen Mueller is a candidate for Wisconsin Attorney General. Karen is a civil rights attorney from Chippewa Falls, where she resides with her family. She is the Founder and General Counsel of the Amos Center for Justice and Liberty, which defends those who have experienced a violation of one or more of their liberties by governmental agents or by private actors carrying out the work, purposes, or goals of the government to the detriment of citizens. Throughout her legal career, Karen has been a civil rights and employment law attorney in her own private practice and has worked with discrimination and harassment claims. Karen received her J.D. from the University of North Dakota School of Law.
District Attorney, Fon du Lac County
Eric Toney is a candidate for Wisconsin Attorney General. Eric is Fond du Lac County District Attorney and President-Elect of the Wisconsin District Attorney’s Association (WDAA). Toney has successfully handled a wide array of cases ranging from cold case and intentional homicide, sexual assault, domestic violence, violent crime, gun crime, financial crimes, racketeering cases and more. First elected in 2012, District Attorney Toney is serving in his third term as Fond du Lac District Attorney. Toney is the current President-Elect of the WDAA. He’s served as Chairman of the Legislative Committee and Communications Committee, and he’s a former Secretary/Treasurer of the Association. Eric received his J.D. from the Hamline University School of Law.
Attorney, DJ Chapman Law, P.C.
David Chapman is a solo lawyer with DJ Chapman Law, P.C., in Fargo, ND, and is a 1995 graduate of the University of North Dakota School of Law. He previously practiced with two private firms in Fargo, and served as in-house General Counsel for Global Electric Motorcars, LLC, when that company was a subsidiary of what was previously DaimlerChrysler Corporation. David has taught continuing legal education courses on immigration law as well as attorney ethics and professional responsibility, and he has authored articles and materials on immigration law and attorney ethics. David has also appeared as a guest on radio and television to discuss legal and policy issues. He currently serves as a member of the US Commission on Civil Rights and a past member of the North Dakota State Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. He and his wife live in West Fargo with their son.
A Seat at the Sitting - October 2022
The October Docket in 90 Minutes or Less
Topics
Religious Liberty Update on Congressional and Executive Branch Actions
Congress NEW LAW 1. On August 16, President Biden signed the “Inflation Reduction Act of...
Litigation Update: Faust v. Vilsack - Race Discrimination in the American Rescue Plan
Rick M. Esenberg, Devon Westhill
The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging...
Litigation Update: Faust v. Vilsack - Race Discrimination in the American Rescue Plan
Rick M. Esenberg, Devon Westhill
The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging...
Litigation Update: Faust v. Vilsack - Race Discrimination in the American Rescue Plan
TeleforumWisconsin Attorney General Candidates' Forum
Adam M. Jarchow, Matthew D. Krueger, Karen Mueller, Eric Toney
Moderated by Matthew Krueger, former United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin Please...
Wisconsin Attorney General Candidates' Forum
Milwaukee Lawyers Chapter
Milwaukee, WIElection Law Update with Rick Esenberg
Milwaukee, WIState Court Docket Watch: Smith v. Isakson
David J. Chapman
Docket Watch: Smith v. Isakson The right to a trial by jury has been a...
State Court Docket Watch: 2021 Edition
In an effort to increase dialogue about state court jurisprudence, the Federalist Society presents State...