Students For Liberty’s founding philosophy is centered on the idea that, to change the world, we need talented people to harness the power of ideas. Ideas matter, but it is the people who advocate and implement those ideas.
Indeed, Randal John Meyer is one of the most exceptional advocates for liberty to come out of the SFL network.
From Students For Liberty to Senior Vice President
Randal is a lawyer and consultant who recently joined McGuireWoods Consulting as senior vice president in the federal public affairs team in Washington, D.C and McGuireWoods LLP’s D.C. office as a counsel.
He advises clients on how to approach legal, policy, and political matters related to technology, emerging markets, and highly regulated industries.
A brilliant writer and talented legal mind, Randal has authored or co-authored over 60 opinion pieces and over a dozen briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court. His writing has appeared in outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, and Forbes, and he was featured in both the L.A. Times and The Washington Post.
How Students For Liberty shaped his leadership
Randal believes that Students For Liberty was important in helping him to develop his writing skills and learning how to write for a wider audience.
“As a lawyer in a public facing role, I have to be able to convey complex ideas to broad audiences. I also need to be pragmatic and reasonable, working with different parties to find common ground. Communication skills are essential for that. Being a lawyer, I was used to long-form writing and it was through SFL that I was able to transition into op-ed writing.”
Randal Meyer got an early introduction to Students For Liberty as part of the first generation of young students in the SFL network.
As president of College Libertarians at Binghamton University, an SFL-affiliated organization, Randal was actively involved in mobilizing young people around the ideas of liberty. He subsequently became involved in Young Voices (when it was an SFL program) during his time as a chief legal researcher for Judge Andrew Napolitano of Fox News.
Young Voices helped Randal develop his communications skills under the guidance of a professional writing and editing team.
“When I first got interested in building my career in Washington DC, I looked for ways to hone my voice and talk about my ideas. Then I got introduced to SFL’s writing team and Young Voices, and they helped me learn how to craft a thinkpiece and organize my thoughts to talk to different audiences. I also learned how to give talks and how to navigate the media landscape as a young writer.”
Working with Rand Paul, CATO, and LibertyCon
Before entering private practice, Randal served as legislative counsel to Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) in the 114th and 115th Congresses. Previously, he was a legal associate in the Cato Institute’s Center for Constitutional Studies as well as a research fellow at Brooklyn Law School.
Although he left our programs some time ago, Randal continues to support SFL, occasionally speaking at flagship events, such as LibertyCon. At LibertyCon 2017, he was a panelist on the American Council of Trustees and Alumni panel. The topic was “Combating Censorship: Does Free Speech and Expression Have a Future on Campus?”
He continues to be a passionate advocate for free speech, and co-authored an article titled “Another IRS Free-Speech Scandal” in November for the Wall Street Journal.
On Students For Liberty, Randal says:
“Students For Liberty is a great organization for students interested in developing their careers. SFL’s network was important in helping me develop my career, and connecting me with other young people who care about the ideas of liberty, as well as partner organizations. Students For Liberty truly provides a forum of support for young leaders dedicated to the pursuit of freedom.”
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Edited by Russell Coates
This piece solely expresses the opinion of the author and not necessarily the organization as a whole. Students For Liberty is committed to facilitating a broad dialogue for liberty, representing a variety of opinions.
