Molly Nixon Joins the Cato Institute as Senior Fellow in Executive Power

WASHINGTON, D.C. — MARCH 24, 2026 — The Cato Institute is pleased to announce that constitutional attorney Molly Nixon is joining the Institute as Senior Fellow in Executive Power.

Nixon was previously an attorney with Pacific Legal Foundation’s Separation of Powers Group, where she litigated constitutional cases on presidential authority, nondelegation constraints, and the limits of executive branch adjudication. Before PLF, she served as an Attorney-Advisor at the Department of the Interior and as Legislative Counsel to Rep. Justin Amash. She holds a J.D. from NYU School of Law and clerked for the Honorable Sharon L. Gleason of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska.

“The question of how power is distributed, and constrained, within our government is one of the most consequential issues of our time,” Nixon said. “I’m thrilled to join the Cato Institute, where the commitment to limited government and individual liberty isn’t just a slogan but a serious intellectual project. I look forward to contributing scholarship and analysis that advances our understanding of executive power within the constitutional framework.”

In her new role, Nixon will develop scholarship on separation of powers, presidential authority, and executive branch accountability. She will contribute to Cato’s publications and events, engage with policymakers and legal practitioners, and bring her courtroom and government experience to bear on some of the most pressing constitutional questions facing the country.

“Molly Nixon brings an exceptional combination of constitutional scholarship, federal litigation experience, and firsthand knowledge of how executive power operates in practice,” said Peter Goettler, Cato’s president and CEO. “Her work recognizes the vast growth in presidential power not only as a distortion of our fundamental constitutional architecture, but as a lived reality for the individuals and institutions that must navigate an ever-expanding executive branch. We are delighted to welcome her to Cato.”

About the Cato Institute: 

The Cato Institute is a public policy research organization dedicated to the principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace. Founded in 1977, Cato works to create a free and open society in which liberty allows every individual to pursue a life of prosperity and meaning in peace.

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