Emily Mimnaugh

Deputy Chief Counsel

Emily Mimnaugh has focused on law, religion and history throughout her academic and legal career. She received her Bachelor of Arts (BA) in History from Yale University with honors, and her undergraduate dissertation analyzed religious freedom under the New York State Constitution, earning her Distinction in the Major.  She also received a Gilder-Lehrman Scholarship and a Thouron Fellowship.  Emily received her Master of Philosophy (MPhil) at the University of Cambridge, where her dissertation explored attitudes toward religious liberty during the Founding Era through transatlantic media analysis. Emily was awarded a Dean’s Scholarship and earned her Juris Doctor (JD) with honors from the University of Michigan. Emily is an attorney licensed to practice in Nevada and New York, and she currently serves with the Pacific Justice Institute—a cause close to her heart.

Born and raised in Northern California, Emily experienced PJI’s impact early in life when its legal team successfully defended the use of the Pledge of Allegiance in her local school district, a case that ultimately reached the U.S. Supreme Court. Now, several decades later, she is honored to help advance that same mission by working to protect civil liberties and uphold the U.S. Constitution. Emily lives in Northern Nevada with her husband and enjoys being near her parents, siblings, and extended family.