William Haun
Senior Counsel
William J. Haun is Senior Counsel at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and a Nonresident Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). At Becket, Will litigates nationwide in defense of religious liberty for all faith traditions, particularly before the U.S. Supreme Court and in other federal and state appellate courts nationwide. His litigation includes being a member of the U.S. Supreme Court team that prevailed 9-0 for Catholic Social Services in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, protecting Catholic refugee services in Michigan, protecting the right of religious organizations to advertise their existence in public, and upholding the Catholic Church’s freedom to speak accountably about its clergy. He’s argued in multiple federal appellate courts, federal district courts, and the Supreme Court of Texas.
At AEI, Will writes and researches on constitutionalism and self-government’s prerequisites, especially the role of religion in securing and preserving freedom.
Before joining Becket and AEI, Will practiced appellate and antitrust law at two international law firms—Shearman & Sterling and Hunton & Williams. He also served as a law clerk to Judge Janice Rogers Brown of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and Judge Claude Hilton of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Will often writes on constitutional law issues, including in the Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, the Catholic University Law Review, National Affairs, Law & Liberty, National Review Online, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post. He has been interviewed in national media, including on CNN, in the New York Times, and in FOX News. He also speaks on these topics, including at The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, Princeton University, Georgetown University Law Center, the University of Virginia School of Law, and the University of Chicago Law School.
He received his J.D. from The Catholic University of America, cum laude, where he was a published member of the Law Review. He received his B.A. from American University in political science, cum laude.
Will serves as Board Vice President of an independent, K-8 classical Catholic school, Divine Mercy Academy. He is also a Board of Advisors Member of Benedictine College’s Center for Constitutional Liberty. Will is a Knight of Merit in the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George.