The Institute for Free Speech is pleased to welcome Ben Cross as a Bradley Summer Associate Fellow for the summer of 2021. Ben will assist the Institute’s legal team and work towards completion of a legal research project.

Ben is currently pursuing a J.D. at the University of Michigan Law School. A rising 2L, he is the Speaker Chair of the University’s Federalist Society chapter and is the incoming President of Lex Vitae, a pro-life organization affiliated with the Law School. Ben is also a member of First Generation Law Students. Following graduation, he plans to pursue a federal clerkship and a career in private practice.

Commenting on his new role, Ben remarked, “The Institute for Free Speech does remarkable work in a field of crucial importance. The very foundations of American society are rooted in the right to free expression, and I am thrilled to assist in defending that right. I could not think of a better place to work and learn after my first year of law school.”

Ben is a 2020 graduate of Denison University, where he graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. He serves as a Recent Student Trustee of Denison University, joining the Board in 2020. At Denison, Ben was a scholar-athlete. He was Team Captain of the Varsity Football team, President of the Denison Student-Athlete Advisory Council, and Vice President of the NCAC Student-Athlete Advisory Council. He also served as a Senior Interviewer in the Office of Admissions, Peer Mentor in the First-Year Office, and as Co-Founder and Treasurer of the Denison Pre-Law Society. Ben excelled academically and received several notable honors, including induction into Phi Beta Kappa, an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, and the Harold Titus Award in Social and Political Philosophy as well as the President’s Medal in 2020.

We look forward to our time with Ben this summer and are eager to benefit from his contributions to our litigation efforts. Please join everyone at the Institute in welcoming Ben to our growing legal team.