NAFUSA is set to kick off its annual conference with an elegant opening reception on
October 14, 2026. Conference attendees will be welcomed in style at the historic Union
Station Hotel in the heart of St. Louis, Missouri, sponsored again by longtime NAFUSA
supporter Guidepost Solutions.
Union Station Hotel is renowned for its stunning architecture and rich history. The hotel’s
grand halls, original 19th-century details, and modern amenities are a unique blend of
classic charm and contemporary sophistication. NAFUSA members will get a taste of St.
Louis hospitality as they gather to reconnect, network, and celebrate the beginning of the
conference.
We are pleased to welcome Guidepost Solutions, a leader in compliance, investigations,
and security consulting, to again sponsor the conference’s opening reception. The
reception is more than just a social gathering. Thanks to Guidepost Solutions’ generous
support, attendees will enjoy a memorable evening featuring gourmet hors d’oeuvres,
signature cocktails, and an opportunity for NAFUSA members and guests to reconnect with
old friends and forge new connections.
Whether you’re a returning member or a first-time attendee, the evening promises a
welcoming atmosphere and a chance to engage with leaders in the legal community. Don’t
miss this exceptional start to the NAFUSA conference. Mark your calendar for October 8,
2026. Also consider becoming a sponsor for this year’s Conference. See the 2026 NAFUSA
Sponsor Brochure which is posted on the NAFUSA website.
NAFUSA’s 2026 Annual Conference will take place October 14-16, 2026, in St. Louis, Missouri. The prestigious Ritz Carlton hotel will serve as the venue for the event, bringing together former U.S. Attorneys, legal professionals, and distinguished guests from across the country.
The Ritz Carlton is located in the trendy arts and garden district of Clayton, MO and offers an elegant setting for NAFUSA’s annual gathering. Attendees can expect world-class accommodations, state-of-the-art meeting facilities, and exemplary service, all contributing to a memorable experience in one of America’s historic cities.
The conference will feature prominent speakers from the legal and public policy sectors, sharing insights on current issues facing the justice system and legal practitioners. Interactive panels will address current topics of interest to our members such as law enforcement challenges, compliance with Department of Justice regulations and the evolving role of U.S. Attorneys.
As with previous conferences, the 2026 conference will provide a unique platform for former U.S. Attorneys and professionals to reconnect, share experiences, and foster new collaborations. Attendees can participate in social events including receptions, dinners, and opportunities to experience St. Louis’s rich cultural and historical offerings.
More information about the conference offerings will be available on the NAFUSA website in the next few months and registration details and hotel accommodation information will be available on the NAFUSA website in mid-2026. NAFUSA members and 2026 conference sponsors are encouraged to mark their calendars and prepare for an engaging and impactful gathering. The 2026 Conference Sponsor Brochure is now available on the NAFUSA website.
The Opening Reception for NAFUSA’s 2025 Annual Conference on Wednesday, October 8, 2025 was a wonderful treat for conference attendees. The view of Washington, D.C. at night from the penthouse offices of King & Spalding, our gracious hosts for the evening, was breathtaking. We should also recognize John Richter, immediate past NAFUSA president and partner at King & Spalding, for ensuring that the weather was perfect for enjoying the impressive skyline, drinks and great food with fellow members and guests on the penthouse veranda.
Again this year, the sponsor for the conference’s opening event was Guidepost Solutions. We cannot thank Guidepost enough for their generosity and continued support of NAFUSA and this well attended event. The opening reception has been one of the highlights of conferences for many years, and this year did not disappoint. The food was beautiful, abundant and delicious, service impeccable, and beverages top shelf. Thanks to the good folks from Guidepost for sponsoring this year’s reception and for joining us at the reception.
2025 Bradford Award winners Margaret Lynaugh and Brandon Thompson, from the Southern District of New York, presented a review of the case for which they were nominated – the prosecution of Herrera Garcia and three others who operated a fentanyl packaging and distribution facility out of a Bronx daycare.
Conference attendees enjoyed a cocktail reception in the Willard Hotel’s beautiful Crystal Room before the conference’s closing dinner. This year’s keynote speakers were former Attorney General John Ashcroft and former Deputy Attorney General Larry Thompson, led in a “fireside chat” by incoming NAFUSA president Catherine Hanaway. The two discussed the challenges faced by DOJ employees following the attacks on 9-11. Their remarks were a sobering reminder of that difficult time, but also an inspiring tribute to the work done by DOJ on behalf of the nation.
A definite highlight of the 2025 NAFUSA conference was the hour spent listening to four-time Emmy nominee Jay Bilas, an ESPN college basketball analyst who has repeatedly been named the BEST analyst in college basketball by Sports Illustrated and other sports media. The feedback from many conference attendees was that Bilas more than deserves that accolade, and more than one attendee claimed to have come to D.C. just to hear his presentation.
In a question/answer session with NAFUSA president-elect Tim Purdon, Bilas – a former Duke basketball star and a lawyer – shared his perspective on the changing face of college athletics. The conversation was fast-paced and touched on many of the controversial issues facing college athletes, university sports programs and sports fans. He discussed the impact of NIL (name, imaging and likeness) and the ability of college athletes to change schools through a “portal.” He talked about how the money is divided between the universities themselves, the coaches and athletes, and the impact sports media such as ESPN has on the game, from the perspective of a lawyer and former college athlete. His insightful comments about the impact on, and benefit to, college athletes themselves was perhaps the most thought-provoking part of his presentation, especially when considering the staggering amounts of money paid to many coaches and sports programs based on the performance of these college students. His strong background as a college athlete, sports analyst and lawyer was clear in his ability to give real examples of how the changes in collegiate sports could benefit college athletes as well as create challenges.
Many thanks to Jay Bilas for sharing his time and expertise with NAFUSA members and for his candid and thoughtful responses to Tim’s (and the audience’s) questions. He deserves an Emmy.
Sports law will be on tap at the 2025 Annual NAFUSA Conference in D.C. in October! Recent developments in the world of college sports, including the legal and practical issues surrounding name, image and likeness (NIL) agreements and the creation of the College Sports Commission, are hot issues in sports AND legal environments. How will college sports be impacted? What roles will attorneys have in advising athletes or other affected clients? What will regulations look like? These and so many other questions surrounding the “ever-changing landscape of college athletics” will be addressed in two separate sessions on NAFUSA’s conference program next month in D.C.
On Thursday, October 9, Jay Bilas, ESPN’s top college basketball analyst, widely known for his thorough knowledge of the game and his professional, clever style, will be interviewed by NAFUSA Vice President Tim Purdon. Jay was a four-year starter at Duke University under Mike Krzyzewski helping to lead Duke to the No. 1 ranking in 1986 and set the NCAA record for the most wins in a single season. While a player at Duke, he was appointed to the NCAA’s Long-Range Planning Committee., serving from 1984-1986.
He played professionally before returning to Duke in 1990 and attending Duke Law School while serving as an assistant coach under Krzyzewski. During that time the Blue Devils won back-to-back National Championships in 1991 and 1992.
Jay has spoken and lectured at Harvard Law School, Harvard Business School, SMU’s Maguire Center for Ethics, The University of North Carolina, Tennessee, and many other great schools. His extensive knowledge of both the sports and legal worlds and his witty style have made him a very popular speaker. He has won too many awards and accolades to list here – including being named Sports Illustrated Best Analyst in College Basketball three times. And he is a practicing attorney.
It will be interesting to hear more about Jay Bilas’s exciting career during Tim’s interview and to hear his thoughts about NIL, what the impact on college sports has been so far, his prediction for the future and where it stands today. The interview will discuss the legal implications of NIL and the new sports commission.
The next day, NAFUSA Board Member Conner Eldridge will lead a panel of experts who are very familiar with the legal and practical implications of NIL, the College Sports Commission and potential impact of revenue sharing on Division One athletic programs and universities. The panel is entitled, “Show Me the Money: The Current and Everchanging Landscape of Collegiate Athletics, NIL, and Thoughts on Justice in College Sports.”
The panel will include former NAFUSA board members Ron Machen and Greg Brower and NAFUSA member Dan French. They each bring a wealth of knowledge and interesting viewpoints to different aspects of the issues surrounding collegiate sports today. Greg Brower served as the Chief Global Compliance Officer of Wynn Resorts, a publicly-trading hospitality and gaming company based in Las Vegas, Nevada, and brings his knowledge of the legal gambling industry to the discussion of its potential impact on college sports. Ron Machen is an experienced and well-regarded litigator specializing in representing clients, including the NCAA, in complex high-stakes situations. Dan French has a distinguished career spanning multiple related fields within the legal profession. Prior to his current position as co-chair of Barclay Damon’s Higher Education and White Collar & Government Investigations Practice, he was the senior vice president and general counsel at Syracuse University.
Many thanks to our Conference Committee for bringing these and the other great presentations to the line-up for NAFUSA’s 2025 Annual Conference.
As in previous years, Thursday night of the conference is designated for members of
presidential administrations to have dinner together independently. These mini reunions,
dubbed “class dinners” are organized by volunteers from the different administrations
represented. Please be sure to contact your class dinner organizer to let them know if you
will join them for dinner and if you will bring a guest.
NAFUSA is excited to host our 2025 annual conference at the Willard InterContinental Hotel in Washington, D.C. Regarded as one of the top historic hotels in America, the luxury Beaux-Arts hotel is two blocks east of the White House at 1401 Pennsylvania Ave., NW and has a rich history spanning over two centuries. The hotel has been the site of many important events in American history and has housed hundreds of notable guests. Author Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote in the 1860’s that “the Willard Hotel more justly could be called the center of Washington than either the Capitol or the White House or the State Department.”
The current hotel was founded by Henry Willard in 1847 on the site of the first six buildings to be constructed at that location and used as a hotel. He combined and transformed the buildings into a grand four-story hotel.
The present 12 story structure opened in 1901, suffered major damage in a fire in 1922, and by 1968 had fallen into severe decline and closed. After gaining new owners with a 73-million-dollar restoration project and a goal to make the restoration as historically accurate as possible, the 389 room Willard Hotel reopened in 1986, once again an elegant and important hotel.
The Willard has hosted numerous U.S. Presidents and notable guests. Abraham Lincolnstayed there for ten days before his inauguration in 1861. The hotel hosted the 1861 peace conferences aimed at preventing the war. It served as a temporary residence for Vice President Calvin Coolidge. Martin Luther King finished his “I Have a Dream” speech in his hotel room there. Charles Dickens and Buffalo Bill stayed there. Ulysses S. Grant famously held court in the lobby (a beginning of the term “lobbyists.”)
In addition to many fine restaurants and bars, the Willard houses the iconic Round Robin Bar which has been nicknamed the “Oval Office of Bars.” The bar has been a meeting place for D.C.’s political and social elite since 1847 – and is famous for its oak lined walls and its signature drink, the Mint Julip.
NAFUSA conference attendees will have an opportunity to learn more about the Willard’s rich history while enjoying its luxurious amenities. The hotel has a famous History Gallery which guests can visit, and the concierge has pamphlets with more information and a guide to significant areas within the hotel.
Be sure to register for the conference starting next week and use the link to reserve a room at the Willard for your stay.
NAFUSA 2025 conference registration is now open. The NAFUSA opening reception, sponsored again this year by our generous sponsor Guidepost, will be Wednesday October 8 at 6:00 p.m. It will be hosted by King & Spalding LLP on the penthouse floor of their Washington, D.C. offices located at 1700 Pennsylvania Ave, N.W., a short walk from the conference hotel. Please click the link below to register and book a hotel room in the NAFUSA block at the Willard hotel.
If you have any issues booking your room or want to extend your stay please contact Lisa Rafferty.
Registration for NAFUSA’s 2025 Annual Conference will open Monday, August 4! Watch your emails for registration information including a link to register for the conference and a link to reserve a room in the conference hotel – The Willard – to take advantage of NAFUSA’s lower block rate. It will also include information about signing up to play golf on Wednesday morning, October 8 at the Army Navy Country Club across the river in Arlington. Registration information, including links, will also be available on the NAFUSA website, NAFUSA.org, early next week.
There are 28 slots available for golf on Wednesday morning. The fee charged includes transportation to and from the course. Golf at the Army Navy Country Club is exclusive to members and their guests so this is a very special opportunity (thanks to NAFUSA president, Donna Bucella). If you’re interested, I suggest that you register for the conference as soon as possible and sign up for golf at the same time you do since spots are limited.
Dates and times to add to your calendars:
The NAFUSA opening reception, sponsored again this year by our generous sponsor Guidepost, will be Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. It will be hosted by King & Spalding LLP on the penthouse floor of their Washington, D.C. offices located at 1700 Pennsylvania Ave, N.W., a short walk from the conference hotel.
Class dinners will be Thursday, October 9 at 6:00 at restaurants tbd. Watch your newsletter for names of class members organizing the dinners. If you’re interested in being part of the planning, let us know.
September 15 is the last day to reserve a room at the Willard at the special block rate. If you want to extend your stay before or after the conference dates, you will be able to do so at the negotiated rate if rooms are available.
We look forward to seeing you and your spouse/guest at the conference! Please contact me or Deputy Director Lisa Rafferty if you have questions or difficulty registering.
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