Michael Farris

Michael Farris is founding president of HSLDA and continues to serve as board chairman. He is also founding president of Patrick Henry College, where he serves as chancellor emeritus. From 2017 to 2022, he served as the president and CEO of Alliance Defending Freedom.

Farris is a constitutional appellate litigator who has served as lead counsel in the United States Supreme Court, eight federal circuit courts, and the appellate courts of 13 states. He has been a leader on Capitol Hill for over 30 years and is widely known for his leadership on homeschooling, religious freedom, and the preservation of American sovereignty.

A prolific author, Farris has been recognized with a number of awards, including the Heritage Foundation's Salvatori Prize for American Citizenship, and as one of the “Top 100 Faces in Education for the 20th Century” by Education Week magazine.

Mike and Vickie Farris have 10 children and many grandchildren.