Mountain States Legal Foundation in Laramie

Mountain States Legal Foundation was in Laramie, Wyoming, yesterday advancing the cause of liberty across the board! It was a full day of court rooms, meeting with supporters, and building up the next generation of freedom-fighting attorneys.

Oral Argument at Federal Court

Will Trachman, general counsel for Mountain States, argued before the federal Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in the cases of Carpenter v. Vilsack and Rogers v. Vilsack, where MSLF represents farmers and ranchers who were denied debt relief under a COVID-19 package simply because they were white. Though the debt relief program was terminated last year by the Biden Administration after Mountain States secured a nation-wide injunction halting the program back in 2021, the government unfortunately succeeded in distributing some funds according to the race-based rules before the injunction.

Rewarding the government by letting the case drop simply incentivizes future constitutional violations. We cannot allow the government to begin racial programs, give out taxpayer dollars, and shrug their shoulders when lawsuits start heating up. American citizens are entitled to equality under the law and under our Constitution.

At a special venue at the University of Wyoming’s College of Law, Trachman addressed the appellate judges’ questions.  It has been a long time since we’ve had a federal government with such blatant disregard for equality as we do today, so it is understandable that the judges had a lot of questions about how to remedy the Biden Administration’s illegal debt relief program.

Nevertheless, Trachman expertly addressed their questions, being sure to drill the point that though the law in question is terminated, the law’s effects are still felt to this day, and our clients and all Americans are due justice. “While the government’s racially discriminatory program has been repealed, it can’t claim immunity over the misconduct that it engaged in before that. The only way to secure equality under the law is to ensure that our clients Leisl and Sara have their day in court.” 

Meeting with Supporters

After oral argument, our team sat down with supporters and friends of the Foundation who asked our attorneys about the judges’ questions.  It is exciting that Mountain States is privileged to have such engaged and enthusiastic supporters.

With us at breakfast were our clients, including Leisl Carpenter, the rancher from Wyoming who started this all. Leisl and Trachman were featured on Hannity back in 2021, discussing her case. For over two years now, Leisl has been a courageous and steadfast icon of equality, and we are honored to represent her. We were humbled when she said, “It’s important to support organizations like Mountain States, because it’s important to have someone in your corner.”

We’re in her—and every Americans’—corner.

The Next Generation

Mountain States also has an active role in the Federalist Society, a national group of attorneys who are devoted to the Constitution and liberty. Will Trachman and Brian Abbas, the director for MSLF’s Center to Keep & Bear Arms, met with the local student chapter at the University. Trachman debriefed the students on the oral argument earlier that morning, and engaged the students about the practice of law and their observations. Abbas discussed the prestigious MSLF Fellowship program.

Abbas also expanded on the current landscape of work regarding the Second Amendment and the right to self-defense. He provided an update on the Center’s victories in the VanDerStok v. Garland case, and also answered questions regarding other pressing litigation across the country. He was invited by Professor George Mocsary to sit in on his Second Amendment class. All of this—and our Legal Fellows program—goes to show that Mountain States is eager to equip the next generation of attorneys with the knowledge and skills to be professional litigators for the Constitution