Anthony Ghiotto

Anthony Ghiotto

Tony Ghiotto is a Teaching Professor of Law at University of Illinois College of Law, as well as a trial advocacy expert and served as an active duty Air Force judge advocate for twelve years before entering academia. He is the director of the Kimball R. and Karen Gatsis Anderson Center for Advocacy and Professionalism, where he trains future lawyers in trial advocacy, appellate work, negotiations, and professional ethics. A dedicated educator, he also coaches award-winning trial and moot court teams.

Before joining academia, Professor Ghiotto spent nearly 12 years as a judge advocate in the U.S. Air Force, handling complex felony prosecutions, advising military leadership, and serving in Afghanistan for detainee proceedings. He continues to serve as a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force Reserves.

His scholarship explores criminal procedure and national security law, with publications in the *Harvard National Security Journal* and other law reviews. A Chicago-area native, he earned his J.D. from Emory University School of Law.

Columns by Anthony Ghiotto

Permalink to Do Ask, Do Exit or Mask: Transgender Service Members, the DOD Guidance on the Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness Executive Order, and Why It Should Matter to Us All

Do Ask, Do Exit or Mask: Transgender Service Members, the DOD Guidance on the Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness Executive Order, and Why It Should Matter to Us All

13 Mar 2025

Lesley Wexler and Anthony Ghiotto

Illinois Law professors Lesley M. Wexler and Anthony Ghiotto analyze the impact of the Prioritizing Military Excellence Order, which restricts transgender military service, comparing it to past policies like “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and detailing the order’s effects on transgender service members, military law, national security, and unit cohesion. Professors Wexler and Ghiotto argue that the policy forces transgender troops to either leave service or suppress their identity, ultimately harming military readiness, morale, and legal integrity, and they advocate for legal challenges, state-level protections, and continued resistance to discriminatory policies.

Permalink to Let’s Kill All the Lawyers: The Friday Night Massacre of Judge Advocates General

Let’s Kill All the Lawyers: The Friday Night Massacre of Judge Advocates General

4 Mar 2025

Lesley Wexler and Anthony Ghiotto

Illinois Law professors Lesley M. Wexler and Anthony Ghiotto discuss the unprecedented removal of top military legal advisors (TJAGs) by the Trump administration and its potential consequences for military legal independence, the rule of law, and democratic governance. Professors Wexler and Ghiotto argue that these firings undermine the TJAGs’ role as independent legal advisors, threaten adherence to military justice and international law, and could either facilitate unlawful actions or create a chilling effect on military lawyers, potentially threatening democracy and national defense.