Kristen Waggoner

Kristen Kellie Waggoner (born 1972) is an American constitutional lawyer. She was the lead counsel in a case at the United States Supreme Court concerning First Amendment rights, Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. In the lawsuit, Waggoner represented Masterpiece Cakeshop owner Jack Phillips. She currently serves as CEO, President and General Counsel of the Christian legal organization Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). Early life and education Waggoner was born in 1972 in Longview, Washington, which is about an hour outside of Portland. Her father is Clint Behrends, a school superintendent and a licensed minister in the Assemblies of God denomination. Her mother, Lavonne Behrends, is a stay-at-home mom. Lavonne also worked part-time in the accounting industry. Waggoner is the eldest of four children. For primary school through law school, Waggoner attended Christian schools. Her father was the principal during her 1st through 12th grades. In an interview with The Daily Signal, Waggoner relates the life changing story of how she became motivated to become an attorney. When she was 13 she attended a summer camp. While at the camp she prayed and "saw clearly that defending ministries and religious freedom should be her path." She said, "That’s what I thought God was impressing on me to do, and it matched with my skill set." In high school she played volleyball and basketball. She graduated high school as valedictorian.