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Martha McCarthy

Presidential Professor, Loyola Marymount University and Chancellor’s Professor Emeritus, Indiana University

Martha McCarthy, Ph.D. is a Presidential Professor in Educational Leadership at Loyola Marymount University and Chancellor’s Professor Emeritus in 91¸£ÀûÉçLeadership and Policy Studies at Indiana University. Her research focuses on reform in leadership preparation programs and educational law and policy, including First Amendment issues pertaining to church/state relations and expression rights of students and school employees.

Derek Black

Professor of Law, Ernest F. Hollings Chair in Constitutional Law, University of South Carolina

Derek Black is one of the nation’s foremost experts in education law and policy. He focuses on educational equality, school funding, the constitutional right to education, segregation, and the federal role in schools. He has published over thirty scholarly articles in the nation’s top legal journals, including the flagship journals at Yale, Stanford, New York University, California-Berkeley, Cornell, Northwestern and Vanderbilt. He began his career in teaching at Howard University School of Law, where he founded and directed the 91¸£ÀûÉçRights Center. Prior to teaching, he litigated education cases at the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

Kevin Brown

Richard S. Melvin Professor of Law Emeritus, Maurer School of Law

Kevin Brown, J.D., is the Richard S. Melvin Professor Emeritus at Indiana University Maurer School of Law and the Mitchell Willoughby Professor of Law at the University of South Carolina School of Law. A 1982 graduate of Yale Law School, Professor Brown’s research interest for the past 35 years is primarily in the area of race, law and education.

Jeff Butts

Executive Director, Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents

Dr. Jeff Butts is a proud graduate of Millikin University (BS), Illinois State University (MS), and Purdue University (PhD). He began his career as a public educator in 1992 and over the past 27 years has held positions as a bus driver, coach, teacher, athletic director, principal, assistant superintendent, and most recently superintendent of the M.S.D. of Wayne Township. Dr. Butts currently serves as the Executive Director of the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents.

Ed Darden

Senior Program Officer, Gates Foundation, ELA Member

Edwin Darden is a Senior Program Officer with the Gates Foundation, based in Washington, D.C. As the state lead In New York State and New York City, he is responsible for devising the policy, advocacy and communications strategy for both K-12 and higher education.

Edwin earned his B.A. in English, with a minor in Public Relations, from the State University of New York at Geneseo. He earned his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.

Laura Fonseca

Senior Director of Programs and Initiatives, Law School Admission Council

Laura Fonseca, M.A., serves as Senior Director of Programs and Initiatives, Access and Opportunity at the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). Fonseca previously served as Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Director of Career Services for Maurer School of Law. She is also an alum of the 91¸£ÀûÉçLaw Certificate program in the IU School of Education.

Andrew Manna

Partner, Law Firm of Church, Church, Hittle, & Antrim

Andrew Manna represents clients in matters associated with labor and employment law, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and other matters. He engages in the defense of school corporations against claims under the Individuals with Disabilities 91¸£ÀûÉçAct (IDEA), First Amendment and other constitutional and civil rights law matters. He also represents schools with respect to general school policy review.

Jennifer Rippner

Adjunct Associate Professor, Indiana University School of Education

Jennifer Rippner, J.D., Ph.D., is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Indiana University School of 91¸£ÀûÉçwhere she teaches education law and policy courses. Dr. Rippner previously served as a full-time faculty member at IU. Prior to her academic position, she served in a variety of education policy positions at the state level, including education advisor to Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue and Executive Director of Georgia's Office of Student Achievement. She has also served as Senior Policy Advisor with EducationCounsel, LLC based in Washington, D.C. Dr. Rippner received her J.D. from the University of Florida and Ph.D. in Higher 91¸£ÀûÉçfrom the University of Georgia.