David Goldberger is professor emeritus of law at the Ohio State University College of Law and former legal director at the Illinois ACLU. He has litigated numerous First Amendment cases in the United States Supreme Court and lower courts. These include National Socialist Party of America v. Village of Skokie. He was a member of the multinational OSCE/ODIHR panel of experts on Freedom of Assembly and Association headquartered in Warsaw, Poland.

Robert Corn-Revere is a veteran First Amendment litigator who has spent over four decades defending free expression and media rights. He joined FIRE after a distinguished career in private practice and public service, including advising the chairman of the FCC. He is the author of The Mind of the Censor and the Eye of the Beholder, a widely acclaimed history of free speech in America. A leading voice on First Amendment law, he has argued major cases and written extensively on the principles of free expression.

Ilya Shapiro is a senior fellow and director of constitutional studies at the Manhattan Institute and a contributing editor of City Journal. He previously served as executive director of the Georgetown Center for the Constitution and as vice president at the Cato Institute. Shapiro is the author of Lawless and Supreme Disorder and has filed more than 500 amicus briefs in the Supreme Court. He lectures for the Federalist Society, serves on the board of fellows of the Jewish Policy Center, and writes the Shapiro’s Gavel newsletter.

Noam Dworman is the owner of the Comedy Cellar in NYC. Earlier in his life, he was a working musician (starting in high school), became a lawyer (but never practiced), and operated other well-loved nightclubs and bars. Lately, he's been utilizing modern technologies to mouth off about current events and. . . the importance of free speech.

Brendan O’Neill is the chief political writer for the British magazine spiked. He was previously its editor for 15 years. He is also a regular writer for the Spectator, the Daily Mail and the New York Post. He has been advocating for freedom of speech for 30 years. He is the author of numerous books, most recently After the Pogrom: 7 October, Israel and the Crisis of Civilisation.

Jenin Younes is a free speech attorney and National Legal Director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. She focuses on protecting speech related to the Israel-Palestine conflict from government suppression. Under the Biden administration, she challenged government involvement in censorship of dissenting opinions about COVID-19, bringing a case that reached the Supreme Court. She has been recognized nationally for defending free speech, including in The Washington Post and on The Daily Show.work, and human potential.

Will Creeley is the legal director at FIRE, where he leads the organization’s legal advocacy to defend free speech and civil liberties nationwide. Since joining in 2006, he has helped shape major efforts to protect First Amendment rights. He frequently appears in national media, testifies before Congress, and speaks about the importance of expressive freedom. He is a co-author of First Things First: A Modern Coursebook on Free Speech Fundamentals, and his writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Atlantic.

Bob Guccione Jr. is an award-winning editor and publisher who has created and led some of America’s most influential media brands. He founded the groundbreaking magazine SPIN in 1985, building it into a defining voice in pop culture and investigative journalism. Over the course of his career, he has launched and led publications including Rock Superstars, GEAR, and Discover, shaping conversations across music, science, and culture. A longtime commentator on media and publishing, Guccione continues to write, speak, and advise on the future of journalism.

Andrew Mayne is an author, technologist, and entrepreneur working at the intersection of artificial intelligence and innovation. He previously served at OpenAI as a member of the technical staff and science communicator, helping explore early applications of generative AI and large language models. A Wall Street Journal bestselling novelist and Edgar and Thriller Award finalist, Mayne is known for bringing complex ideas about science and technology to broad audiences. Through his work, he examines how emerging technologies are reshaping creativity, work, and human potential.

Pouya Nikmand is an Iranian-born writer and advocate for individual liberty. After escaping Iran at the age of 18, Nikmand underwent a seven-year period of displacement across East Asia and Europe — a journey marked by human trafficking and severe institutional barriers — before eventually securing his freedom in the United States. Nikmand’s publication Outliving Iran highlights the structural cruelties of the global migration regime and the moral necessity of maintaining an appreciation for the virtues of free societies.

Nico Perrino is the executive vice president of FIRE and the creator and host of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast. A longtime advocate for civil liberties, he has written for outlets including The Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Politico, and The Guardian, and frequently appears in national media to discuss free speech issues. Perrino is also a documentary filmmaker and the author of the forthcoming book Let the Other Side Speak: The Civil Libertarians Who Forged America’s Free Speech Century.

Stephen D. Solomon is Marjorie Deane Professor at NYU’s Carter Journalism Institute, where he teaches First Amendment law. His previous books include Revolutionary Dissent: How the Founding Generation Created the Freedom of Speech, and Ellery’s Protest: How One Young Man Defied Tradition and Sparked the Battle Over School Prayer. He is founding editor of NYU’s First Amendment Watch. His next book, No Tyrants, the story of how America’s founders built barriers against tyranny, will be published in 2027. He is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center.

Nick Gillespie is an editor at large at Reason, the libertarian magazine of "free minds and free markets," and host of The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie. A two-time finalist for National Magazine Awards, he holds a Ph.D. in American literature, and, according to The New York Times, "is to libertarianism what Lou Reed is to rock ‘n’ roll, the quintessence of its outlaw spirit." He is currently working on Better Living Through Chemistry, a feature-length documentary about changing attitudes towards drugs.

David Lat is a legal commentator, author, and founder of Original Jurisdiction, a widely read newsletter covering law, courts, and culture. A former federal prosecutor and the creator of the influential blog Above the Law, he has been a leading voice in making the legal world more accessible to the public. Lat’s writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and other major outlets, where he brings insight, humor, and balance to complex legal and social debates. With his commitment to open dialogue and principled discourse, Lat exemplifies the spirit of free expression in law and media.

Greg Lukianoff is the president and CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), the nation’s leading free speech organization. He is the co-author of the bestselling book The Coddling of the American Mind as well as The Canceling of the American Mind, which explore the challenges facing open debate today. With his passionate and engaging voice, Lukianoff has become one of the country’s most prominent advocates for free thought and expression.

Heather Mac Donald is a bestselling author, journalist, and leading commentator on culture, criminal justice, and free expression. She is the Thomas W. Smith Fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a contributing editor of City Journal, where her work has shaped national debates on policing, higher education, and race. Her books include The War on Cops, The Diversity Delusion, and When Race Trumps Merit, which examine the consequences of ideology overtaking evidence and excellence. Widely recognized for her rigorous analysis and independence of thought, Mac Donald brings a bold and influential voice to discussions of law, culture, and liberty.

Jacob Mchangama is a lawyer, author, and global advocate for free expression. He is the founder of Justitia, Denmark’s first judicial think tank, and The Future of Free Speech. His acclaimed book Free Speech: A History from Socrates to Social Media, traces the global struggle for liberty of thought and expression. With his international perspective and scholarship, Mchangama brings a powerful voice to today’s debates over freedom and democracy. He has a new book releasing April 2026, titled The Future of Free Speech: Reversing the Global Decline of Democracy's Most Essential Freedom.

John McWhorter is a linguist, author, and cultural commentator known for bringing clarity and wit to tough conversations about language and society. A professor at Columbia University and a contributing writer for The New York Times, he has written bestselling books including Woke Racism and Nine Nasty Words. With his fearless and engaging style, McWhorter champions open dialogue and free expression on today’s most pressing issues.

Aryeh Neier is a human rights leader and lifelong defender of free expression. He served as executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union and later co-founded Human Rights Watch, shaping the modern human rights movement. As president of the Open Society Foundations, he advanced global efforts to protect liberty and justice. With his enduring vision and advocacy, Neier remains one of the world’s most respected voices for freedom.

Lee Rowland is the Executive Director of the National Coalition Against Censorship, where she leads program work, advocacy, and public education, and also runs the Free Expression Network. A seasoned First Amendment litigator, she spent two decades with organizations like the ACLU, Brennan Center, and NYCLU, and has taught free expression at NYU Law and CUNY. She has served as lead counsel in landmark federal cases, and helped pass New York’s Equal Rights Amendment.

Nadine Strossen is a leading voice for civil liberties and free speech. She served as the first female president of the American Civil Liberties Union, and is professor emerita at New York Law School. The National Law Journal named Strossen one of America's "100 Most Influential Lawyers." The author of influential books including HATE: Why We Should Resist It with Free Speech, Not Censorship, she has testified before Congress on multiple occasions. With her lifelong commitment to liberty, Strossen continues to inspire and defend the principles of open expression.

Matt Taibbi is an award-winning journalist and author known for his sharp, fearless reporting on media, politics, and power. A former longtime contributing editor for Rolling Stone, he now writes on Racket News, an independent journalism platform featuring original reporting, commentary, and podcasts, and has been a leading voice in the debate over free speech and press freedom in the digital age. His bestselling books include The Divide, Griftopia, and Hate Inc., which explore corruption, inequality, and the changing landscape of public discourse. With his incisive wit and uncompromising perspective, Taibbi challenges audiences to think critically about truth and expression in modern society.

Eugene Volokh is a constitutional law scholar and one of the nation’s foremost experts on the First Amendment. He is the Gary T. Schwartz Distinguished Professor of Law at UCLA School of Law and the founder of The Volokh Conspiracy. Author of numerous books and articles, he frequently advises courts, legislatures, and the public on issues of free expression and constitutional rights. He hosts Free Speech Unmuted, a video podcast series sponsored by the Hoover Institution. With his deep scholarship and clear voice, Volokh has shaped national conversations on the scope and meaning of free speech.

Keith Whittington is a constitutional scholar and leading authority on free speech in America. He is the William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Politics at Princeton University and a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution. His books include Speak Freely: Why Universities Must Defend Free Speech and Repugnant Laws: Judicial Review of Acts of Congress from the Founding to the Present. Whittington is widely recognized for his principled defense of open expression.