Holly Hollman
Chief Legal Officer, BJC (Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty) from 2001-2026
By Jennifer Leigh Hawks
Jennifer Hawks
When you think of champions of church-state separation, Holly Hollman is at the top of that list. Holly has dedicated her career to fighting for faith freedom for all. Through changes at the Supreme Court and our ever-evolving political landscape, her expertise continues to be sought out by journalists, litigators, academics, and groups across religious and political persuasions.
Holly is often seen in front of the cameras on the Supreme Court’s plaza reacting to oral arguments, but she can also be found teaching a Sunday school class about the importance of religious freedom or serving on a panel of top constitutional law professors debating the institutional separation of religion and government. She moves between these areas with ease and brings dogged preparation to each.
I was a little intimidated by Holly’s public persona when I first applied for the chance to work with her at BJC, but she’s never forgotten her Mississippi roots and quickly put me at ease and welcomed me into the work. For 10 years, Holly mentored me, and I had a front-row seat as she coached countless BJC interns and inspired her students at Georgetown Law.
Holly models how one should use one’s skills and passions to meet the world’s needs. Those of us lucky enough to count her as a friend know how fortunate we truly are. She set the example and blazed a trail that I and so many others could follow.
Jennifer Leigh Hawks is the director of advocacy for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.
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