Erik Baptist
Senior Counsel, Director of the Center for Life
Erik Baptist serves as senior counsel and director of the Center for Life at Alliance Defending Freedom where he leads the team’s litigation and advocacy efforts to protect unborn babies and their mothers from the harms of abortion. In this leadership role, Baptist also collaborates with pro-life allies, works with Members of Congress and their staff, and engages with international, national, and local media on pro-life matters.
Washingtonian magazine named Baptist as one of the Most Influential People Shaping Policy in Washington in 2024. As a member of the D.C. and Virginia Bars, he has litigated before the U.S. Supreme Court and many federal appellate and district courts.
Before joining ADF, Baptist was a partner at one of the largest law firms in Washington, D.C., representing clients in high-stakes litigation and regulatory matters.
He also previously served as a senior executive service political appointee at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. As the senior deputy general counsel and deputy assistant administrator, he directed EPA’s litigation, implemented groundbreaking rulemakings and policies, and collectively helped oversee the work of more than 1,100 EPA lawyers, scientists, and staff.
Baptist began his career in the trial department of a large international law firm in Washington, D.C. He earned his B.A. from Vanderbilt University and his J.D. from The George Washington University Law School. During law school, Baptist externed for the Honorable Ricardo M. Urbina of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, interned for the Honorable Eric T. Washington of the D.C. Court of Appeals, and served on The George Washington International Law Review.