Mr. Shackelford is a constitutional scholar who has argued before the United States Supreme Court, testified before the U.S. House and Senate on constitutional issues, and has won three state landmark First Amendment and religious liberty cases in the past few years alone. He was recently named one of the 25 greatest Texas lawyers of the past quarter-century by Texas Lawyer, and is the recipient of the prestigious William Bentley Ball Award for Life and Religious Freedom Defense for his leadership and pioneering work protecting religious freedom.

Lathan Watts is Director of Community Relations for First Liberty Institute, responsible for all efforts to increase First Liberty Institute’s profile in local and national markets. His focus is on expanding public awareness of First Liberty’s mission, legal matters, and educational projects by coordinating communication with community leaders, influencers, policy makers, and the public at large.

Prior to joining First Liberty Institute, Watts served in various campaign and official staff positions for U.S. Congressman Jeb Hensarling, U.S. Senator John Cornyn, and Texas Governor Rick Perry. His executive leadership roles in non-profit organizations specializing in political affairs and community outreach contributed to the election of numerous members of the U.S. Congress, multiple state legislators, and governors. His work in and around the political process served him well in the four years he spent as a City Councilman in Lewisville, TX.

Watts received his Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi where he served two terms in the student senate one as President Pro Tempore. He received his Bachelor of Arts in History from Harding University, where he was a member of multiple honor societies and the University Concert Choir.

By: First Liberty Press Release - firstliberty.org - March 6, 2019 First Liberty Institute represents POW/MIA Group that Maintains Remembrance Table at Manchester, New Hampshire VA Medical Center Manchester, NH—First Liberty Institute today sent a letter to ...

By: David French - nationalreview.com - March 7, 2019 Something remarkable is happening on the Democratic side of the aisle. Faced with multiple anti-Semitic statements from freshman member of Congress Ilhan Omar, the Democrats are actually ...

By: The Editorial Board - wsj.com - March 6, 2019 Don’t be surprised if either Paul Ryan or John Boehner has put in an empathy call to current House Speaker Nancy Pelosi this week. The former ...

By: Victor Davis Hanson - nationalreview.com - March 7, 2019 Trump ran as an outcast. He promised to ‘drain,’ not to perpetuate, the swamp. No one in Washington called Donald J. Trump a “god” (as journalist Evan ...

By: Jeremy Dys - dailywire.com - March 8, 2019 Jack Phillips' long ordeal appears to be over. After years of litigation and unnecessary protests, including a trip to the U.S. Supreme Court, Jack can return to being ...