Nicholas DeBenedetto joined PLF as a litigation fellow in September 2023. He first became interested in the liberty legal movement as an undergraduate at Villanova University, when he stumbled upon a long-form YouTube interview with Professor Randy E. Barnett. Inspired by Professor Barnett’s originalist view of the Constitution, Nicholas committed himself to attending law school with the goal of advancing this vision (a fitting goal for someone born on the Fourth of July). As he continued to explore the liberty legal movement, he was further inspired by the work of Clark Neily, Timothy Sandefur, and Richard Epstein. Nicholas views his work for PLF as a means of advancing and defending the constitutional principles that inspired him to go to law school.
Nicholas studied law at Rutgers Law School–Camden. During his time at Rutgers, he was president of the Rutgers–Camden Federalist Society. He also served as the State Constitutional Law editor of the Rutgers University Law Review and as a research assistant to Professor Robert F. Williams. Other highlights from his law school days include interning at the Institute for Justice as a Dave Kennedy Fellow.
After graduating from law school, Nicholas clerked in the Appellate Division in New Jersey and then spent a year as a legal associate at the Cato Institute’s Center for Constitutional Studies, where he co-authored amicus briefs for the Supreme Court, lower federal courts, and state high courts.
In his spare time, Nicholas enjoys attending concerts and live theater with his fiancée, Alison. He also enjoys CrossFit, Olympic weightlifting, and collecting watches. He resides in McLean, VA.
Nicholas is admitted to the State Bar of New Jersey.