Patrick Hughes is the Founder and President of the National Opportunity Project and a lead strategist of national policy initiatives and precedent-setting litigation.

Pat has a reputation for taking on the big fights. In his former role as the co-founder and president of the Liberty Justice Center, Pat led a team of attorneys to legal victories that touched the lives of over 100 million Americans. He spearheaded the legal challenge that stopped the federal vaccine mandate for private employers and was ultimately upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. And, in 2018, his team successfully overturned a 40-year Supreme Court precedent in Janus v. AFSCME, which The Washington Post called the “biggest labor case of the century.” This victory prompted 50 new federal lawsuits to protect Americans’ constitutional rights under threat from politicians and government officials across the country.

Pat is an expert legal and policy strategist who provides concise, newsworthy commentary on breaking legal and policy stories. He also offers deep analysis and evaluates the potential for significant judicial action on emerging legal theories. His work is frequently featured in top-tier, national media outlets including Fox News, MSNBC, The Hill, the Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post and The New York Times.

Pat founded the National Opportunity Project to act as a check on the expansion and abuse of government power. NOP is a watchdog using research to uncover government misconduct, and education and advocacy to advance issues of national importance. With Pat’s litigation experience, NOP identifies when and where litigation is necessary to protect Americans’ rights as parents, taxpayers, voters, business owners and citizens.

An attorney since 1994, Pat has spent his legal career litigating complex cases in state and federal courts throughout the country. He received his Bachelor of Science in accounting from Marquette University and his law degree from DePaul University College of Law.