Gill Sperlein

D. Gill Sperlein recently joined FIRE as amicus attorney after operating a solo practice in San Francisco for over 20 years. His practice focused on free speech, representing students, activists, adult businesses, and journalists. Before joining FIRE, Gill served as a participating attorney in FIRE’s Faculty Legal Defense Fund.

Raised in Baltimore, Gill attended Towson State University before graduating summa cum laude from American University’s Washington School of Law. While in law school, Gill joined several other activists, scholars, and policy makers to found the first LGBTQ think tank, the Institution for Gay and Lesbian Strategic Studies, which merged with UCLA’s Williams Institute in 2006. He is a past board member of the Free Speech Coalition and more recently served in various leadership positions for the First Amendment Lawyers Association, including president and national chair.

When not protecting free speech, Gill can be found renovating his cabin in Western Sonoma County where he lives, works, gardens, knits, bakes sourdough bread, brews kombucha, and hikes in the redwoods or beachcombs Goat Rock Beach with his pit bull, Mama Rose.