Dear Supporters,
Today marks a major milestone for the Center for Equal Opportunity as we officially launch our 5th Annual CEO Civil Rights Fellowship! Outstanding law students and future leaders from across the nation are arriving in Washington, D.C. to take part in CEO’s flagship program.
Now in its fifth year, the fellowship is designed to equip the next generation of attorneys and aspiring leaders with a deep understanding of colorblind equal opportunity, constitutional law, civil rights jurisprudence, and public policy discourse.
A Record-Breaking, National Cohort
This year’s class represents one of our most competitive applicant pools to date. Our 2026 Fellows hail from premier law schools and prestigious institutions across the country, including Yale, Harvard, Cornell, George Mason, University of Arizona, Florida State, University of Arkansas, University of Miami, Florida International University, and BYU. These rising legal minds bring exceptional academic backgrounds, diverse perspectives, and a shared commitment to upholding individual merit and equal protection under the law.
Unmatched Faculty
Throughout the intensive curriculum, our Fellows will engage directly with prominent judges, legal scholars, policy experts, and senior leaders across the legal landscape. The program offers intimate seminars, practical media training, and high-level strategy discussions on the most pressing civil rights challenges facing our nation today.
Featured instructors and guest speakers scheduled for this year’s program include:
- Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg, U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
- Eric Dreiband, Partner at Jones Day & Former Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights
- Kenneth Marcus, Founder & Chair, Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law & Former Assistant Secretary of Education for Civil Rights
- Gail Heriot, Professor of Law Emeritus at USD Law & Former Commissioner, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
- Maimon Schwarzschild, Professor of Law, USD Law
- John Fund, Author and Columnist, National Review Online
- Kate McKnight, Partner, BakerHostetler
- Alison Somin, Senior Legal Fellow, Pacific Legal Foundation
- Gregg Nunziata, Executive Director, Society for the Rule of Law
- Darpana Sheth, General Counsel, Center for Individual Rights
- Eric Sell, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division
- Linda Chavez, Founder & Chairman, Center for Equal Opportunity
- Shawna Bray, General Counsel, Center for Equal Opportunity
- Devon Westhill, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, USDA & Former CEO President
Building on a Strong Legacy of Past Partners & Instructors
Our fellowship builds upon a strong foundation of prominent legal experts and institutional allies who have partnered with CEO over the years. Past instructors, speakers, and institutional partners have included:
- Judge James Ho, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- Ilya Shapiro, Director of Constitutional Studies, Manhattan Institute
- Jason Riley, Columnist for The Wall Street Journal & CEO Board Member
- Hans von Spakovsky, Senior Legal Fellow, Heritage Foundation
- David Bernstein, Professor of Law, Antonin Scalia Law School
- Braden Boucek, Director of Litigation, Southeastern Legal Foundation
- GianCarlo Canaparo, Former Senior Legal Fellow, Heritage Foundation
- Mark Chenoweth, President and General Counsel, New Civil Liberties Alliance
- Roger Clegg, Former President and General Counsel, Center for Equal Opportunity
- Stephen Kent, Media Director, Consumer Choice Center
- Craig Leen, Partner, K&L Gates, Immediate Past Director, OFCCP
- Cory Liu, State District Judge, Texas, Adjunct Professor at the University of Texas School of Law
- Andrea Lucas, Commissioner, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
- Dan Morenoff, Executive Director, American Civil Rights Project
- Rachel Morrison, Senior Fellow, Ethics and Public Policy Center
- Russ Nobile, Senior Attorney, Judicial Watch
- Sarah Parshall Perry, Senior Legal Fellow, Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies, Heritage Foundation
- Mark Perry, Senior Fellow. American Enterprise Institute, and Professor Emeritus of Economics, University of Michigan
- Eli Steele, Director and Producer, “What Killed Michael Brown?”
- Stuart Taylor, Co-Author, Mismatch: How Affirmative Action Hurts Students It’s Supposed to Help and Why
- Craig Trainor, Nominee Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Department of Housing and Urban Development
- Wenyuan Wu, Director, Californians for Equal Rights Foundation
Curriculum Highlights
Our Fellows will tackle key legal and policy topics at the forefront of national litigation and debate, including:
- The original intent of the Post-Civil War Constitutional Amendments and historical civil rights legislation.
- Post-SFFA educational policy, admissions, and diversity initiatives.
- Title VII, Title VI, and the future of disparate impact theory.
- Addressing campus antisemitism and defending student rights.
- Voting rights, redistricting, and federal civil rights enforcement priorities.
- Persuasive legal writing, public engagement, and digital media strategy.
In addition to classroom seminars, Fellows will participate in private visits to historical sites like the National Archives and network with alumni and legal practitioners throughout Washington.
Fellowship Welcome Reception,
Graham Hotel Georgetown
Investing in the Future of Equal Opportunity
The CEO Civil Rights Fellowship is more than an educational program—it is a long-term investment in building a robust pipeline of principled legal leaders who will defend equal protection for decades to come.
None of this would be possible without the generous commitment of our supporters. Thank you for making this vital program a reality.
We look forward to sharing updates, photos, and highlights as the fellowship unfolds!
Warm regards,
Rudy Gersten
Executive Director
