About our Staff

The American Center for Law & Justice has one of the most respected and experienced teams of attorneys and staff, who work with international bodies, engage in domestic and international litigation, provide legal services, advise individuals and government agencies, and counsel clients on human rights issues.

Jay Sekulow

Chief Counsel

Jay Sekulow is Chief Counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), one of the most prestigious law firms in the country. He is an accomplished Supreme Court advocate, renowned expert on religious liberty, a three-time New York Times-bestselling author, and a respected broadcaster. Jay Sekulow is an attorney with a passion for protecting religious liberty, constitutional freedoms, and democracy. For nearly a quarter of a century, he's been on the front lines working to protect religious and constitutional freedoms in the courts, in Congress, and in the public arena. Jay Sekulow has argued cases 13 times at the Supreme Court of the United States, including several landmark cases which have become part of the legal landscape in the area of religious liberty litigation. Jay Sekulow received his Ph.D. from Regent University, with a dissertation on American Legal History. He is an honors graduate of Mercer Law School, where he served on the Mercer Law Review, and an honors graduate of Mercer University. He was a Visiting Fellow at Harris Manchester College’s Summer Research Institutes in June and July 2013, 2014, and 2015. In July 2014, he also participated in a Summer Program focused on Middle East Studies at Exeter College, University of Oxford, under the tutelage of Professor Farhang Jahanpour and Dr. Gareth Winrow. He recently completed a course of study at Vanderbilt University’s Owen School of Management with certification in Executive Leadership and Corporate Innovation. Jay is the author of numerous publications and legal articles. Immediately following graduation from law school, he served as a tax trial attorney in the Office of Chief Counsel for the Internal Revenue Service. He is licensed to practice in DC & GA.

Jordan Sekulow

Executive Director

Jordan Sekulow is Executive Director of the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ). He is an attorney and host of Sekulow, a syndicated radio program providing cutting analysis of today's political and legal landscape with elected officials and conservative leaders, as well as the host of the ACLJ’s weekly television broadcast, Sekulow TV. Jordan Sekulow has served as a liaison between the ACLJ and its international affiliates. As a senior member of the ACLJ team, Jordan Sekulow frequently travels overseas to engage in high-level legal and policy discussions with government officials regarding human rights issues around the world. Jordan was a contributor to the Washington Post’s “On Faith” section with his own Washington Post blog entitled “Religious Right Now” from 2010-2013, where he covered social conservatives’ involvement in shaping America’s legal, political, and cultural landscape. Jordan also contributes to The Washington Times, The Daily Caller, and other publications. He was a Visiting Fellow at Harris Manchester College’s Summer Research Institute in June and July 2014 and a Visiting Research Scholar at Harris Manchester College’s Summer Research Institute in June and July 2015. Jordan Sekulow is a graduate of Regent University School of Law in Virginia Beach, VA, where he served as co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Regent Journal of Law and Public Policy. Jordan Sekulow is also a graduate of George Washington University and earned his Master of Laws degree (LL.M.) in International Human Rights from the Georgetown Law Center. He is licensed to practice in DC.

Senior Advisors

Mike Pompeo, Senior Counsel for Global Affairs

Senior Counsel for Global Affairs

Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is Senior Counsel for Global Affairs at the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ). Before joining the ACLJ, Pompeo led the U.S. State Department as Secretary of State in the Trump Administration. Prior to that, he served as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Pompeo also served four terms in Congress, representing Kansas’ 4th District. During his tenure, he served on the House Intelligence Committee, as well as the Energy and Commerce Committee and House Select Benghazi Committee. After graduating first in his class at the United States Military Academy at West Point, Pompeo served as a U.S. Army tank platoon leader and then cavalry officer and squadron maintenance officer in West Germany prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall. After retiring from active duty at the rank of Captain, Pompeo graduated from Harvard Law School, having been an editor of the Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy and the Harvard Law Review. He then worked as a lawyer in a D.C. firm. Secretary Pompeo brings unique and unparalleled experience in foreign policy, diplomacy, and leadership to his role with the ACLJ. He is licensed to practice in DC.

Richard A. Grenell, Senior Advisor for National Security and Foreign Policy

Senior Advisor for National Security and Foreign Policy

Richard A. Grenell is Senior Advisor for National Security and Foreign Policy at the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ). Richard Grenell formerly served as Acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI) under President Trump, reporting directly to the President in 2020. Prior to that, he served as the U.S. Ambassador to Germany from 2018 to 2020. Previously, Grenell was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as Director of Communications and Public Diplomacy for the United States Ambassador to the United Nations. In 2004, he was appointed as an Alternate Representative to the U.N. Security Council with full voting rights and privileges. Grenell holds the record as the longest-serving U.S. spokesman in history at the U.N., having served from 2001-2008. Grenell has also served as a spokesman for presidential candidates, governors, and congressional candidates. Richard Grenell received a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and his Bachelor’s Degree in Government and Public Administration from Evangel University. He taught at The University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and is currently a Fellow at Carnegie Mellon University. Grenell brings broad foreign policy, national security, intelligence, and political experience to this role at the ACLJ.

Senior Attorneys & Leadership

Skip Ash

Senior Counsel Emeritus

Robert W. "Skip" Ash is Senior Counsel Emeritus at the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) and at the European Centre for Law and Justice ( ECLJ). Ash was the head of the ACLJ's national security practice. As such, he has dealt with legal issues concerning Believers in the U.S. Armed Forces, with issues regarding the Law of Armed Conflict worldwide, with issues before the International Criminal Court, with issues before the United Nations and its agencies, and with issues before other international courts in Europe. Ash is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy and served 22 years on active duty as a U.S. Army officer. His service included serving as NATO desk officer in the War Plans division of the Army Staff as well as a military strategist for the Secretary of Defense in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Plans in the Pentagon. A graduate of Regent University School of Law, Ash has also served as a member of the faculties of the School of Law and the Robertson School of Government at Regent where he taught courses on national security law, public international law, comparative law, First Amendment law, business associations, and legal research and writing. He is licensed to practice in VA.

Matthew Clark

Senior Counsel for Digital Advocacy

Matthew Clark is Senior Counsel for Digital Advocacy with the American Center for Law and Justice ( ACLJ) in the Washington, D.C., headquarters. Matthew Clark has authored numerous articles for such publications as the Washington Post, The Washington Times, and the Washington Examiner on critical constitutional and policy matters facing our nation and the fight for human rights worldwide. He is also a Contributor at RedState.com. Prior to rejoining the ACLJ, where he clerked while in law school, Matthew Clark served as Judicial Law Clerk for the Honorable Walter S. Felton, Jr., Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals of Virginia. Matthew Clark earned a Juris Doctor and Master's Degree in Public Policy from Regent University where he served as the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Regent Journal of Law and Public Policy. He also currently serves as a Senior Research Associate for the M.G. Robertson Global Centre for Law & Public Policy. He also participated in the inaugural symposium on Persecution, Peace, and Reconciliation held at Harris Manchester College, University of Oxford in 2015. He is licensed to practice in VA & DC, as well as before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Christina Compagnone

Senior Managing Counsel

Christina Compagnone is Senior Managing Counsel with the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ). She has worked primarily on First Amendment issues, with a specific focus on student and employee rights, as well as international human rights. In 2021, Christina received the R. Edwin Burnette Jr. Young Lawyer of the Year Award from the Virginia State Bar Young Lawyers Conference. Christina received a Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Affairs with Distinction from the University of Virginia, and her Juris Doctor with Honors from Regent University School of Law. She served as a Staff Editor for the Regent University Law Review and a Senior Editor for the Journal of Global Justice and Public Policy, where she authored a comment published in the Journal addressing the European Court of Human Rights’ decision protecting the life of an unborn child in Parrillo v. Italy. Prior to her work for the ACLJ, Christina garnered legal experience during her apprenticeships at the Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney for the City of Virginia Beach and the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ). Additionally, Christina received the Best Brief – Regional Award and the Second Best Brief – World Award in Oxford University’s Price Media Law Moot Court Competition in 2016. She is licensed to practice in VA & DC.

Andy Ekonomou

Senior Counsel

Andy Ekonomou is Senior Counsel at the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ). Andy Ekonomou’s distinguished legal career spans over 45 years. Ekonomou first served as Legal Counsel to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1975 and has since held numerous respected roles, having served as Special Assistant Attorney General for the State of Georgia, and perhaps most notably having served as Acting United States Attorney. Most recently, Andy has held the position of Assistant District Attorney in Georgia. Andy Ekonomou holds a B.A. and M.A. from Emory University, and a J.D. from the Emory University School of Law. In 2000, Andy earned his Ph.D. from Emory and was a Visiting Fellow at Harris Manchester College in Oxford, England. Ekonomou regularly appears as a contributor on Sekulow, the ACLJ’s daily radio and TV broadcasts. He is licensed to practice in GA.

Shaheryar Gill

Senior Counsel

Shaheryar Gill is Senior Counsel at the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) and oversees the ACLJ's Virginia Beach office, where he leads the ACLJ's international legal team. He also oversees the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ) affiliate office in Pakistan, which provides legal assistance to persecuted Christians. Gill is a graduate of Handong International Law School in South Korea, where he served as Senior Editor of Joint Regent-Handong Journal of International Law. He received his LL.M. from Regent University School of Law. He has also served as an adjunct faculty member at Regent University School of Law, where he has taught Public International Law and guest lectured on National Security Law and Christian Foundations of Law. Gill is also a Fellow of the M.G. Robertson Global Centre for Law & Public Policy. He is licensed to practice in TN & DC.

CeCe Heil

Senior Counsel

CeCe Heil is Senior Counsel at the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) specializing in public policy and global legal matters, including the United Nations. She heads a team of lawyers handling cases in defense of life, protection of U.S. National Security interests, and dealing with Islamic extremism. Before joining the ACLJ, Heil worked in private practice in Missouri and Tennessee, serving as counsel to many internationally recognized clients, and she is on the board of several national ministries. Heil is a recognized leader in her work to have pro-family, pro-life, and pro-free enterprise policies enacted, including being a former candidate for Congress. Her service and knowledge as ac scholar earned her the support of Sarah Palin, and Heil was one of a handful of candidates named as a “Mama Grizzly” by the former Alaska Governor. Heil is a 1992 graduate of Regent University School of Law. She is licensed to practice in CA, MO, TN, & VA, as well as before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Laura Hernandez

Senior Counsel

Laura Brown Hernandez is Senior Research Counsel at the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) emphasizing in constitutional litigation at the federal appellate level and has participated as amicus curiae counsel in numerous cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. A graduate of The University of Richmond Law School in Richmond, Virginia, Hernandez clerked for the Honorable John D. Butzner of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit before gaining extensive experience in private practice at law firms in Richmond and Norfolk, Virginia. She has served as an adjunct professor of legal writing at Regent University, where her husband, Michael V. Hernandez, serves as Professor of Law. She is licensed to practice in VA.

Harry G. Hutchison

Senior Counsel and Director of Policy

Harry G. Hutchison is Senior Counsel and Director of Policy for the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ). He has served as a Professor of Law at the Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University, a Founding Fellow at the M.G. Robertson Global Centre for Law & Public Policy, and co-editor of Westlaw’s Religious Organizations Treatise. His latest book is Requiem for Reality: Critical Race Theocrats and Social Justice Dystopia. He is licensed to practice in MI.

Colby M. May

Senior Counsel and Director of the Washington Office

Colby M. May is Senior Counsel and Director of the Washington Office of the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ). May represents members of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate on legislative initiatives involving national security, abortion, marriage, and pornography. With the ACLJ since 1994, May emphasizes federal litigation, regulatory proceedings, communications and technology, non-profit tax issues, and First Amendment law. May, a graduate of the George Mason University School of Law, has argued, participated in, or acted as amici curiae counsel in several landmark cases including Branch Ministries, Inc. v. Richardson, Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe, Boy Scouts of America v. Dale, National Interfaith Cable v. FCC, and National Endowment for the Arts v. Finley. He also serves on the board of directors of many civic organizations, including the Enterprise Development International, Inc. – a public charity fostering development in emerging countries, and Enough is Enough! – a pro-family organization working to make the Internet safe for children. He is licensed to practice in DC & VA.

Donn Parsons

Corporate Counsel

Donn Parsons is Corporate Counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) in Nashville, Tennessee. Prior to joining the ACLJ, he served as counsel to four different Ohio Senate presidents, Members of Congress, and statewide elected officials. He holds degrees from Emory University and the University of Minnesota Law School. He is licensed to practice in OH & DC.

Geoffrey Surtees

Senior Counsel

Geoffrey Surtees is Senior Counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) and specializes in religious civil liberties. Geoff is a graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Law and holds a Master’s Degree in Theological Studies (summa cum laude) from the Pontifical Lateran University. Since joining the ACLJ as an attorney in 2001, Geoff has been active in a wide array of First Amendment cases, including the free speech rights of pro-life demonstrators and public school students. He has also participated in cases involving the conscience rights of medical personnel and the religious rights of public and private employees. He is licensed to practice in KY.

Walter M. Weber

Senior Counsel

Walter M. Weber is Senior Counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) in the Washington, D.C. office. A highly regarded legal writer, Weber received his bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and his law degree from Yale Law School. Weber emphasizes First Amendment law and has written briefs in many landmark cases at the U.S. Supreme Court, including NOW v. Scheidler, Lamb’s Chapel v. Center Moriches Union Free School District and Bray v. Alexandria Women’s Health Clinic. Weber has argued more than a dozen times in appeals before federal and state courts. Prior to joining the ACLJ, Weber served as a staff attorney with the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights. He is licensed to practice in DC, IL, & VA.

Government Affairs

Jeff Ballabon

Senior Counsel for International and Government Affairs

Jeff Ballabon is Senior Counsel for International and Government Affairs at the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ). Jeff also leads the ACLJ's Israel operations from our Jerusalem office. A graduate of Yale Law School and former Senior Vice President of CBS News, Ballabon served as Republican Counsel to the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee and Legislative Counsel to Sen. John Danforth (MO). His clients have included the Coordinating Council on Jerusalem and numerous American victims of Palestinian terror whom he represented before the White House, State Department, Justice Department, and Congress. At Israel’s Ministry of Justice, Ballabon worked on the legal status of the disputed territories as well as the first formulation of Israel’s Basic Law on Human Dignity and Liberty. He is licensed to practice in NY.

Craig Parshall

Special Counsel for Government Affairs

Craig Parshall is Special Counsel for Government Affairs for the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ). He has hosted and moderated numerous Washington, D.C., roundtables on Internet freedom issues and serves as Special Counsel to the ACLJ. He has frequently testified before committees of Congress, most recently on behalf of the ACLJ before a subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee regarding the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Parshall is also a New York Times best-selling fiction writer, with his 12 suspense novels often featuring breaking trends in technology. He is married to nationally syndicated radio talk show host Janet Parshall. He is licensed to practice in VA.

James Rockas

Director of Strategy and Global Government Affairs

James Rockas is the Director of Strategy and Global Government Affairs at the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) in the Washington, D.C., headquarters. Prior to joining the ACLJ, James served in the U.S. Department of Commerce as Secretary Wilbur Ross’ Deputy Chief of Staff, as well as the Deputy Director of Policy & Strategic Planning and lead spokesman for the Department. James later served as Senior Advisor, Chief Policy Officer, and Deputy Chief Marketing Officer in the Office of the Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, Energy, and the Environment. Before his work in the Executive branch, James was a Legislative Assistant in the U.S. House of Representatives and worked on multiple political campaigns. James is a long-time advocate against the persecution of Orthodox Christians in the Republic of Turkey and is currently an Archon-elect of the Order of Saint Andrew, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. In 2015, he participated in the M.G. Robertson Global Centre for Law & Public Policy’s inaugural symposium on Persecution, Peace, and Reconciliation focused on religious freedom in Turkey held at Harris Manchester College at the University of Oxford. James holds a bachelor’s degree in government from Cornell University and clerked at the ACLJ for two summers while in school.

Benjamin P. Sisney

Senior Counsel for Litigation and Public Policy

Benjamin P. Sisney serves as Senior Counsel for Litigation and Public Policy at the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) office in Washington, D.C. He also serves as the ACLJ's Director of FOIA Practice. Sisney practiced law in Oklahoma City for five years following the conclusion of his two-year clerkship with United States District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell in Tulsa, two years with the ACLJ in Virginia, and a Legal Fellowship with Senator James M. Inhofe in Washington, D.C. Sisney graduated from Regent University School of Law in 2007. As a law student, he interned with an Oklahoma District Attorney's office and Oklahoma’s oil and gas administrative law court. Sisney’s practice has focused in the areas of government affairs and accountability, international and United Nations affairs, pro-life litigation and issues, family law, First Amendment law, and religious liberty. He is licensed to practice in OK, DC, & VA.

Litigation

Marshall Goldman

Senior Litigation Counsel

Marshall H. Goldman serves as Senior Litigation Counsel with the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) where he works on both domestic and international matters, particularly with respect to Israel. For several years, he has assisted ACLJ Senior Fellow and former U.S. Attorney General John D. Ashcroft. He is also a Senior Research Associate for the M.G. Robertson Global Centre for Law & Public Policy. Mr. Goldman received his Bachelor of Arts degree (cum laude) from Oral Roberts University, his Master of Arts in Public Policy degree from the Robertson School of Government at Regent University (where he was the recipient of the Outstanding Research Award for distinction in scholarship), and his Juris Doctor degree from Regent University School of Law. He is licensed to practice in VA, as well as before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Nathan Moelker

Associate Counsel

Nathan Moelker is Associate Counsel at the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) Washington, D.C., office. After law school he clerked for Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Tom Parker. Moelker graduated summa cum laude and first in class from Regent University School of Law in 2022. During law school he interned for the ACLJ, for Regent Law’s Constitutional Center, for former Governor Bob McDonnell, and for Associate Justice of Virginia Stephen McCullough. Moelker also served as Managing Editor of the Regent Journal for Global Justice & Public Policy and on the Honor Council. He also served on the Moot Court Board, where he competed in several competitions, winning Best Oralist at the Notre Dame Religious Liberty Competition. He is the author of several law review articles, primarily focused on the First Amendment. Before Regent, Nathan graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in English and a B.S. in Computer Science from Geneva College. He is licensed to practice in VA.

John Monaghan

Senior Litigation Counsel

John Monaghan serves as Senior Litigation Counsel in the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) Virginia Beach office. He has been practicing since 2005. John started in criminal defense as a part-time assistant public defender. Eleven years and many trials later, he left private practice and joined the ACLJ. He is licensed to practice in VA.

Abigail A. Southerland

Senior Litigation Counsel

Abigail Southerland serves as Senior Litigation Counsel with the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ). She specializes in First Amendment litigation and represents clients across the country in both state and federal courts, from complaint through trial and appeal. Southerland obtained a key victory for religious employers in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. She presented oral argument before the court, securing the first decision issued by a U.S. court of appeals since the Supreme Court’s decision in Hosanna-Tabor, that a religious organization’s right to choose its ministers and spiritual leaders free from federal and state government interference – a protection known as the ministerial exception – is a limitation imposed on the government that cannot be waived. Southerland represents a variety of clients, including private individuals, non-profit organizations, school boards, and local government bodies. She is a 2007 graduate of Regent University School of Law where she served as Managing Editor of the Regent Journal of International Law and authored a note published in the journal addressing the conflict between First Amendment freedoms and antidiscrimination laws. She is licensed to practice in TN.

Olivia Summers

Senior Litigation Counsel

Olivia Summers is Senior Litigation Counsel with the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), focusing on pro-life advocacy and protecting the freedoms of speech and religion. Olivia earned her Juris Doctor from Regent University School of Law. While at Regent, Olivia clerked for the ACLJ and served as a board member for Regent Journal of International Law, was a member of the Honor Council, and was actively involved in Regent Students for Life. In addition, Olivia spent one summer interning at the ECLJ where she gained experience in international law and human rights issues. Prior to attending Regent, Olivia earned her B.A. in History from the University of Wyoming. Olivia joined the ACLJ full-time after graduating from Regent. She is licensed to practice in DC & VA.

Garrett Taylor

Associate Counsel

Garrett Taylor is Associate Counsel at the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) Nashville, TN office. Garrett earned his Juris Doctor from Regent University School of Law. During law school, Taylor clerked for the ACLJ and interned for Justice Jeffrey Bivins of the Tennessee Supreme Court. While at Regent, Garrett also served as a Legal Writing Fellow where he assisted law students navigate through Regent’s rigorous first-year legal writing course. Prior to attending Regent, Garrett interned at the White House in the Office of Presidential Correspondence in the fall of 2019. Garrett earned his B.A. in Political Science and Minor in Economics from the University of Mississippi. He is licensed to practice in TN.