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Andrea Picciotti-Bayer is Director of the Conscience Project. A Stanford-educated lawyer, she has dedicated her legal career to civil rights and appellate advocacy.
Andrea got her start as a trial and appellate attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. As Director of the Conscience Project, she has filed amicus briefs with federal courts of appeal and the U.S. Supreme Court in key religious freedom and free speech cases.
Andrea appears frequently in the media to discuss religious freedom controversies and legal victories, and in 2021 and 2025 she received First Place for Best Coverage — Religious Liberty Issues from the Catholic Media Association. Andrea is a legal analyst for EWTN News and a regular columnist for the National Catholic Register. Her writing has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, National Review, Fox News, Newsweek, CNN en Español and other well-regarded publications. She has also joined Fox News, Newsmax and a variety of other shows to share expert commentary.
The Religious Freedom Institute named Andrea the recipient of its 2025 Religious Freedom Impact Award, a recognition given to “a leader whose life and work have demonstrated consistent, effective, and innovative leadership in advancing religious freedom in law, policy, or culture.”
Andrea lived in Colombia for more than a decade. She has ten children and lives in the Washington, DC area.