Stephanie Llanes is Managing Director and Counsel at Protect Democracy. As MD, Stephanie oversees the organization’s systems, people and culture to carry out the organization’s mission. She has served on a number of Protect Democracy’s litigation projects and led Douša v. DHS, to stop the unlawful retaliation against Pastor Douša for providing pastoral services to migrants and refugees. Stephanie came to Protect Democracy from the Center for Constitutional Rights where she litigated on the racial justice and government misconduct docket as a Bertha Justice fellow. She received her J.D. from Berkeley Law School, B.A. from Emory University, and A.A. from Gainesville State College (now The University of North Georgia). She has also served on Mijente’s Leadership Circle since 2017.