Kristen Waggoner
CEO, President, and Chief Counsel
Kristen Waggoner is CEO, president, and chief counsel of Alliance Defending Freedom, the world’s largest legal organization dedicated to advancing every person’s God-given right to live and speak the truth. She leads a team of more than 450 people across 11 offices worldwide, directing ADF’s work on the most consequential legal and cultural issues of our time – free speech, religious liberty, the sanctity of life, marriage and family, and parental rights.
ADF has won 18 cases at the U.S. Supreme Court – 17 under Waggoner’s leadership, including Dobbs, the historic decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. She has personally argued several landmark cases before the Court, including Masterpiece Cakeshop and 303 Creative.
Waggoner also leads ADF International, which operates in more than 80 countries and litigates before international tribunals and national courts. Current cases include the defense of British veteran Adam Smith-Connor, Finnish parliamentarian Päivi Räsänen, and Canadian advocate “Billboard Chris” – each facing government prosecution for speaking truth or praying silently. The European Court of Human Rights will soon hear ADFI’s cases challenging the Turkish government’s expulsion of pastors and missionaries without cause. ADF is also supporting X in its historic challenge to the European Union’s global censorship law, the Digital Services Act.
In recognition of her leadership, the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal awarded Waggoner the 2025 Richard D. McLellan Prize for Advancing Free Speech and Expression. President Donald J. Trump appointed her to the advisory board of legal experts to the Religious Liberty Commission. She has testified before the U.S. House of Representatives, addressed the United Nations, and is a frequent voice in national and international media.
Before joining ADF, Waggoner clerked at the Washington Supreme Court and practiced law for over 15 years at a Seattle-based firm. She is Peer Review Rated AV® Preeminent™ in Martindale-Hubbell and passionate about defending truth and freedom to ensure human flourishing.