Republican National Lawyers Association (RNLA)
Contents
The RNLA is made up of lawyers and law students and is governed as a 527 political organization. 3
Background
The Republican National Lawyers Association, founded in 1985, is the principal organization of lawyers in the United States who are affiliated with the Republican Party. 1 The group gathers Republican lawyers for legal education sessions related to law in political, legislative, and private firm settings. 4
The group is a 527 organization, which is a status provided to groups with a primary purpose of trying to influence elections. 3
The RNLA provides election law training from prominent election lawyers and provides assistance to the Republican Party and its candidates. It communicates requests from national, state, and local Republican Party organization to its members. 2
The RNLA holds national events to increase networking among lawyers. 2
In September 2024, after President Joe Biden had already dropped out of the Presidential race, RNLA President Michael Thielen called for the use of the 25th Amendment to remove President Biden from office because of his cognitive capacity. He wrote about it in an op-ed for Real Clear Politics. 5
History
During the 1984 presidential election, the group “Lawyers for Reagan-Bush” was established with Bob Horn as the executive director. In 1985, Horn founded the Republican National Lawyers Association, with the support of then-Attorney General Ed Meese and then-Republican National Committee chairman Frank Fahrenkopf. 2
Early leaders of the RNLA were Nancy Nord, who would later become the chair of the Consumer Product Safety Commission; former National Labor Relations Board chair Betty Murphy; and professor Robert Freer, among other leading Republican attorneys who led the organization in later years. 2
The RNLA counts as former members Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Neil Gorsuch, former Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge (R), former U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), and former White House Counsel Don McGahn. 2
Starting in 1988, the RNLA hosted events for Republican lawyers at the annual Republican National Convention. 2
The RNLA established the National Policy Conference as an annual spring event in 2000. 2
Months before the 2000 election, the RNLA hosted receptions for lawyers in Florida. After the disputed election night, RNLA members Ted Olson and George Terwilliger played key roles in representing the Bush-Cheney campaign. 2
The RNLA hired Michael Thielen as its executive director, and in 2002, he became the RNLA’s first full-time employee. 2
Also in 2002, the group established the National Election Law Seminar as an annual summer event. 2
In 2003, the RNLA presented its first “Hon. Edwin Meese III Award” to former Attorney General Meese himself. The award focuses on “an individual who has upheld the rule of law in the face of adverse political challenges.” 2
In 2004, the RNLA started the annual “Republican Lawyer of the Year” award for a “lawyer for his or her outstanding professional accomplishments and years of dedicated service to the Republican Party and its ideals.” 2
In 2012, the RNLA started the “Betty Murphy Award” for “an unsung hero, member, trailblazer, with entrepreneurial spirit, a community service leader, an organization builder who inspires others’ efforts.” 2
In 2013, former RNLA first vice president Lee Goodman was confirmed as a commissioner on the Federal Election Commission. 2
The “Robert J. Horn Chairman’s Award,” named for the organization’s founder, was established in 2017 for “nationally distinguished service to the citizens of the United States of America for protecting the honesty and accuracy of elections.” Horn, before his death, presented the award in 2019. 2
In 2024, then-Republican National Committee (RNC) co-chairman Michael Whatley said the RNLA’s legal efforts were “invaluable.” He said the group worked closely with the Trump campaign and the RNC’s election integrity program. 2
Donors
Restoration PAC contributed $168,100 to the Republican National Lawyers Association in 2026. 3
Jennifer Bukowsky, a Missouri lawyer and co-chair of the RNLA as of June 2026, contributed $20,000 in 2026. 3 6
Greenberg Traurig gave $7,000 in 2026. 3
Cooper and Kirk contributed $7,000 to the RNLA in 2026. 3
Wharton Law gave $3,500 in 2026. 3
The Ragnar Group donated $3,000 to the RNLA in 2026. 3
Chalmer Adams donated $3,000 in 2026. 3
The top all-time contributors, according to ProPublica, have been Restoration PAC, which donated $3.74 million; the Lawyers Democracy Fund, which donated $979,000; and Robert Mercer, who gave $710,000 to the RNLA. 3
Leadership
Michael Thielen was the president and executive director of the Republican National Lawyers Association, as of 2026, a job he has held in 2002. He previously worked for the Republican National Committee. After the RNC, he worked for candidates elected to state and federal offices in Virginia. He also previously worked for Judicial Watch and the 60 Plus Association. He was on the National Board of Lawyers for Trump in 2020. 6
Trevor Stanley was the first vice president of the RNLA, as of 2026. Stanley works for BakerHostetler. He specializes in election law and is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center. 6
Ben Gibson is the general counsel for the RNLA, as of 2026. He has been a managing partner for the Tallahassee law firm of Shutts and Bowen. He was one of the Florida electors in the 2024 election who cast electoral votes for Donald Trump and J.D. Vance as President and Vice President. He is a former chief legal counsel to the Republican Party of Florida. 7
Lee Goodman, as of 2026, was the chairman of the board of the RNLA. Lee joined the Dhillon Law Group as a partner in 2025. He is a former chairman of the Federal Election Commission. He has been legal counsel for a Governor and Attorney General of Virginia. He was also general counsel to numerous political organizations. He practices in Virginia, the District of Columbia, and before multiple federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. 6
Jennifer Bukowsky was the co-chair of the RNLA as of 2026. Bukowsky is a syndicated talk radio host and has also been the vice-chair of the Missouri Republican Party. She is a criminal defense attorney, clerked for Missouri Supreme Court Judge Mary R. Russell, and is a former assistant public defender. She launched her own firm, the Show-Me Defenders, in 2021. She has been a member of the Missouri Supreme Court’s Task Force on Criminal Justice and the Show-Me Institute board. 6