MACON – Mercer alumnus Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), will deliver the University's 2018 Founders' Day address Feb. 7 at 10 a.m. in Willingham Auditorium on the Macon campus.
Each year on Founders' Day, a prominent Mercerian returns to campus to share how the University has influenced his or her life. The Heritage Life Committee of the Student Government Association (SGA) coordinates the annual convocation, which first took place at Mercer in 1891.
“Mercer's Student Government Association is proud to organize and host this event every year,” said senior Olivia Buckner, president of SGA. “As student leaders, we strive to attract prominent alumni whom students will find interesting and who celebrate our commonalities and our differences, and we believe that Mr. Sekulow fits that description. We look forward to hearing about his experiences as both an undergraduate and graduate student.”
Sekulow earned both his Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor with honors from Mercer and served on the Mercer Law Review. He went on to obtain his Ph.D. from Regent University, writing his dissertation on American legal history.
In addition to his role as chief counsel of ACLJ, he is an accomplished Supreme Court advocate, renowned expert on religious liberty, bestselling author and respected broadcaster.
Sekulow is the author of the No. 1 New York Times bestselling book Rise of ISIS, A Threat We Can't Ignore. He is a popular guest on nationally televised news programs such as FOX News, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, CNBC and PBS. He posts regularly to his blog, “Faith and Justice” on Beliefnet, frequently contributes articles and commentary to national publications, and is often quoted in the nation's leading newspapers including USA Today, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and Washington Times.
Sekulow has argued cases before the U.S. Supreme Court on 12 occasions – including several landmark cases that have become part of the legal landscape in the area of religious liberty litigation.
He has introduced a comprehensive media strategy to expand the scope of ACLJ's mission, including a daily radio broadcast that tackles trending, top issues; a weekly television program highlighting key decision-makers; and engaging and debating issues currently in the public arena.
Sekulow has been appointed a Senior Fellow at Emory University Law School's Center for the Study of Law and Religion and a Visiting Fellow and member of the Summer Research Institute at Harris Manchester College at the University of Oxford. He has lectured on Middle East affairs and international law and was a Visiting Research Scholar at Harris Manchester College at the University of Oxford. He recently completed a course of study at Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management with certification in executive leadership and corporate innovation. Vanderbilt's Executive Development Institute designated Sekulow an Owen World Shaper in 2015.
