Pepperdine Caruso Law Names Colten L. Stanberry (JD '19) as Inaugural Managing Director of the Ken Starr Institute
Pepperdine University’s Caruso School of Law has appointed alumnus Colten L. Stanberry (JD ’19) as the inaugural managing director of the Ken Starr Institute for Faith, Law, and Public Service. His appointment took effect August 1, 2025.
Stanberry currently serves as counsel at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, where he has been on the front lines of defending religious expression and conscience rights in some of the most consequential cases before the US Supreme Court, including Mahmoud v. Taylor and Catholic Charities Bureau v. Wisconsin Labor and Industry Review Commission.
“Colten Stanberry embodies the convictions and courage that defined Judge Starr’s life—faith, integrity, constitutional fidelity, and public service,” said Paul Caron, Duane and Kelly Roberts Dean of the Caruso School of Law. “His legal acumen and unwavering commitment to justice will elevate the Ken Starr Institute as a national leader in religious liberty scholarship, legal advocacy, and the moral formation of future public servants.”
The Ken Starr Institute honors the enduring legacy of former Caruso Law dean, US Solicitor General, and federal judge Kenneth W. Starr. The institute will serve as a premier center for constitutional scholarship and action, hosting international conferences on religious freedom, publishing influential research, and offering real-world opportunities for students to serve alongside federal judges, public officials, and in legal clinics focused on overturning wrongful convictions.
“In an age when the Constitution is often misunderstood and faith is increasingly marginalized in public life, this institute will stand as a beacon,” said Stanberry. “Judge Starr believed that faith, law, and public service were not competing ideals, but complementary callings. It’s the honor of a lifetime to return to Caruso Law to steward that vision forward.”
“Colten’s appointment signals the institute’s strategic intent to shape the national conversation on law and liberty,” said Jay Brewster, provost of Pepperdine University. “His leadership will prepare students not only for legal excellence but for moral courage in the public square.”
Stanberry is a nationally respected advocate and Caruso Law alumnus, where he graduated as valedictorian and served as editor-in-chief of the Pepperdine Law Review. He clerked for the Honorable Allison Jones Rushing of the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and the Honorable Lavenski Smith of the US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Before joining the Becket Fund, he practiced law at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, where he supported complex litigation with constitutional implications.
Learn more about the Ken Starr Institute for Faith, Law, and Public Service