The American Constitution Society (ACS) has named Elizabeth “Betsy” Knox, a rising 3L at Michigan Law, to the 2025 Next Generation Leaders (NGL) program. She is among 31 law students nationwide selected for this year’s class.
The ACS launched its Next Generation Leaders program in 2007. Since then, the program has annually recognized recent and forthcoming law school graduates who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in their respective ACS student chapters. Over the next year, program participants will engage in quarterly training and career advancement calls, attend select press and donor calls, and have access to special events as well as individualized support from ACS staff.
Barbara McQuade, ’91, professor from practice and faculty adviser to Michigan Law’s ACS chapter, nominated Knox for the award.
“Betsy combines high intellectual horsepower with a strong desire to use the law as a tool to improve the lives of others,” said McQuade. “She gives me hope for a better future.”
This marks the second consecutive year that a Michigan Law student will participate in the NGL program: Arthur Etter, ’25, was part of the 2024 cohort.
Michigan Law’s chapter of the ACS is well-known for the strength of its membership and programming; in 2024, it was the ACS’s nationwide Student Chapter of the Year. In 2025, the chapter was recognized with an ACS Programming Award.
A growing network
When Knox entered Michigan Law, her interest in joining the progressive legal community on campus drew her to the school’s ACS chapter. First serving as a 1L representative and board member, Knox most recently acted as ACS co-president with fellow rising 3L Shannon Hickey.
In her leadership role, Knox utilized a method she initially harnessed when she worked as a children’s ski instructor.
“A lot of leadership is meeting people where they’re at,” she said. “In skiing, one kid might be incredibly scared, and the next might need to keep moving. Our ACS events do the same; we try to meet people where they are. That’s why post-election events were a priority of ours. Only 30 days into the current administration, people’s heads were swimming, so we brought in panelists to help understand what we were seeing and gather the community.”
As one of this year’s ACS Next Generation Leaders, Knox is eager to broaden her network.
“I am honored and excited to be selected as a Next Generation Leader,” she said. “The program is an incredible guide for legal professionals, and knowing the ACS is interested in working with me affirmed why I joined.”
This summer, Knox is in Washington, DC, doing regulatory and federal appellate work for Hogan Lovells. Before attending law school, she worked on Capitol Hill. Knox hopes to join a law firm after graduation, particularly to learn more about the law enforcement and compliance process, with the intention of reentering the government sector eventually.
