Lambda Legal elects Fred O. Smith Jr. as new Chair of Board of Directors. Posted OnMarch 17, 2026 Lambda Legal is pleased to announce the election of Fred O. Smith Jr. as the new Chair of its Board of Directors. Smith previously served as Vice-Chair of Lambda Legal's Board of Directors. "Mr. Smith brings extraordinary legal acumen and a distinguished record of scholarship and public service to this role," said Lambda Legal CEO Kevin Jennings. "We are thrilled to welcome him as the new head of our board, and we look forward to his leadership as we continue to fight for the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals and people living with HIV." Smith is a professor of law specializing in the federal judiciary, constitutional law, and posthumous legal interests. His scholarship has appeared in some of the nation's most prestigious legal journals, including the California Law Review, Columbia Law Review, Harvard Law Review, Michigan Law Review, New York University Law Review, Stanford Law Review, University of Chicago Law Review, and Yale Law Journal. He has lectured on these subjects across the United States and internationally, including in Istanbul, Shanghai, and Warsaw, and has been interviewed as a legal expert by major media outlets including CNN, CBS News, MSNBC, National Public Radio, Time Magazine, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. Smith clerked for Judge Myron Thompson of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama; Judge Barrington D. Parker Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit; and Justice Sonia Sotomayor of the U.S. Supreme Court. He previously held academic positions at Berkeley Law and Emory Law and has served as a visiting professor at the University of Chicago, Columbia University, and Yale University. He was named Emory Law's Outstanding Professor of the Year in 2019, 2022, and 2023. His published casebooks include Federal Courts in Context (2023) and Constitutional Torts, 5th ed. (2020). "As a legal scholar, I have spent my career studying the institutions and systems that shape justice in this country, and Lambda Legal has long understood something fundamental: that the law is not just a set of rules, but a site of struggle and transformation," said Smith. "We are living through a pivotal moment in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights and the rights of people living with HIV, and the work ahead is just as consequential as any Lambda Legal has taken on in its more than 50 years. I am deeply honored to chair this board and committed to ensuring Lambda Legal remains what it has always been, fearless, principled, and unwavering in its pursuit of justice." Lambda Legal has been at the forefront of the fight for LGBTQ+ rights for over 50 years as a national legal nonprofit organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of LGBTQ+ individuals and people living with HIV. Lambda Legal's lawyers have won precedent-setting civil rights cases on everything from marriage equality to expressions of gender identity to health care discrimination. Through education, advocacy, and legal action, Lambda Legal strives to protect and advance the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, advocating for a society that embraces diversity and inclusivity.

Lambda Legal names Carl Charles the Elayne Cassidy Nicholas Memorial Counsel for Trans and Nonbinary Rights. Posted OnMarch 12, 2026 Named position, funded by philanthropist Eileen Amy Ryan, honors the memory of her late sister-in-law and beloved ally, Elayne Cassidy Nicholas. Lambda Legal is proud to announce that it has named Counsel Carl Charles the Elayne Cassidy Nicholas Memorial Counsel for Trans and Nonbinary Rights, a position established through a $1 million gift from philanthropist Eileen Amy Ryan. The position honors the memory of Elayne Cassidy Nicholas, Eileen's late sister-in-law and one of the first people to whom Eileen entrusted her truth, whose boundless love, acceptance, and affirmation became a model of allyship for the transgender community. Charles has spent his career at Lambda Legal fighting to secure and expand federal civil rights protections for transgender and nonbinary people in courtrooms, statehouses, and federal agencies. His litigation has challenged discriminatory bans on transgender girls and women in school sports, state and employer exclusions of gender-affirming medical care from health insurance and the Trump administration's policy denying transgender citizens accurate passports. The named position ensures that Lambda Legal's transgender and nonbinary rights docket is anchored by dedicated, senior-level legal leadership at a time of unprecedented legislative and judicial attacks on the community. "The story of Elayne Cassidy Nicholas is a story every transgender person deserves to have in their own life, the story of someone who says, without hesitation: you are safe here, I am in your corner, nothing you share will change my love for you," said Kevin Jennings, CEO of Lambda Legal. "That kind of radical acceptance is exactly what this work is about. Eileen Amy Ryan's decision to honor Elayne's memory through this position is a profound and deeply moving act of love. Having Carl Charles carry that name into every brief and every courtroom means this legacy will be felt in the lives of transgender and nonbinary people across this country for years to come." "To carry Elayne Cassidy Nicholas's name into this work is to carry a reminder of why it matters: that behind every case is a person who simply wants to live their truth and be seen, accepted, and loved for who they are," said Carl Charles, Elayne Cassidy Nicholas Memorial Counsel for Trans and Nonbinary Rights at Lambda Legal. "Transgender and nonbinary people are under relentless attack from all directions right now. Every case we bring, every protection we defend, is a declaration that this community belongs, fully and without condition. I am honored to do this work in Elayne's memory and in partnership with Eileen's extraordinary vision and generosity." "Elayne was my dear sister-in-law, the one I went to first in my journey," said Eileen Amy Ryan. "Before I could even find the words to share something deeply personal and vulnerable with her, she already opened the door. She told me, 'We must live our truths or live less than whole - I mean every word - I am utterly in your court 100% no matter what.' I will never forget that moment. She was my safe oasis. She showed me what it means to be an ally. Naming this position in her memory is my way of saying that every transgender person deserves someone like Elayne in their corner. Lambda Legal fights every day to build a world where it isn't rare for LGBTQ+ people to belong. It's the law. I am grateful to Lambda Legal, and especially to Carl, for ensuring that Elayne's spirit lives on in this work." The $1 million gift from Eileen Amy Ryan establishes the Elayne Cassidy Nicholas Memorial Counsel for Trans and Nonbinary Rights and reflects Eileen's deeply personal commitment to the transgender community. Eileen, who is transgender herself, has made Lambda Legal's transgender rights work a central pillar of her philanthropy. Her 2024 gift of $1.5 million established the Eileen A. Ryan Senior Attorney for the Nonbinary & Transgender Rights Project, a position currently held by Whit Washington. The Elayne Cassidy Nicholas Memorial Counsel represents a continuation of that investment and a tribute to the woman whose unconditional love first showed Eileen what full acceptance looks like.

Lambda Legal names Douglas F. Curtis as its next Chief Legal Advocacy Officer. Posted OnJanuary 28, 2026 Lambda Legal, the nation's largest legal nonprofit advocating for full legal and civil rights for LGBTQ+ people and everyone living with HIV, today named Douglas Curtis as its Chief Legal Advocacy Officer, effective February 9, 2026. In this role, Curtis will become the senior-most leader of the Legal Department at Lambda Legal, guiding a team of nearly 50 civil rights attorneys, policy advocates, and program staff from multiple practice areas across the United States. With more than 35 years of litigation, compliance, and organizational leadership experience, Curtis most recently served as Regional Director for Lambda Legal's Midwest Regional Office based in Chicago. Before joining Lambda Legal, Curtis spent three decades building and leading legal teams and legal departments across top law firms, international companies, and civil rights organizations. As a partner at the law firms WilmerHale and Arnold & Porter, his practice primarily focused on high-stakes commercial litigation and civil rights matters. Throughout his career, Curtis devoted substantial pro bono time to significant matters, including representing six Guantánamo detainees in Boumediene v. Bush, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case affirming constitutional habeas rights. More recently, before joining Lambda Legal, Curtis co-counseled with Lambda Legal in Eller v. Prince George's County Public Schools, a transgender rights case. "We are tremendously excited to bring Doug into this important leadership role at Lambda Legal," Lambda Legal CEO Kevin Jennings said. "Doug brings deep experience in impact litigation and developing and leading legal teams involved in multiple aspects of legal work. His experience, leadership, and demonstrated commitment to civil rights could not be more essential at this critical moment for our movement, and I could not be more grateful for his eagerness to take on this important role." "I am deeply honored that Lambda Legal has entrusted me with this role at this critical moment in our movement," Curtis said. "Since joining Lambda Legal in 2023 as Midwest Regional Director, I have witnessed the dedication and excellence of all my colleagues across multiple departments and could not be more energized to work with them in my new role. It is indeed a privilege to work with the awesome legal team here at Lambda Legal, and to collaborate across departments to get our important work done." Curtis's executive leadership experience includes serving as Deputy General Counsel at WeWork, where he oversaw litigation, compliance, and employment while directing legal department operations and building infrastructure to support the company's global growth. At Reuters Group PLC, he held senior roles including EVP and Global Head of Ethics and Compliance, where he developed and launched the company's first global ethics program across four continents, and Regional General Counsel for Continental Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, managing Geneva-based members of the global legal department. Curtis has also served in senior board roles at civil rights and social justice nonprofits, including the National Center for Law and Economic Justice (since 2003) and the Legal Aid Society of New York (2002 - 2021). Curtis holds a J.D., magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School, where he served as Treasurer of the Harvard Law Review. He served as a law clerk to the Hon. Patricia M. Wald on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit following law school. He earned his B.A. in Social Studies, magna cum laude, from Harvard College, and was a Rotary Foundation Scholar at the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris.