John Ashcroft is currently a distinguished professor of law and government at the Regent University School of Law. He previously served as Attorney General of the United States for four years. Prior to that, he served one term in the United States Senate from 1995 to 2001 and had served as Governor of Missouri for two terms. As governor, Ashcroft balanced eight consecutive budgets during his terms. Fortune magazine rated him as one of the top 10 education governors. Ashcroft was elected to two terms as attorney general of Missouri prior to serving as governor. Katherine Ashcroft has served as in-house legal counsel for a private holding company, advising senior management on legal matters, including regulatory compliance, contract negotiation, and business organization. She also spent several years mentoring law students through an externship program sponsored by the St. Louis Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel. Ashcroft earned her law degree from Saint Louis University School of Law and is a member of the Missouri Bar. Martha Patterson began her legal career handling complex matters of estate planning and administration in an international law firm. She has considerable experience in state and federal tax law matters. She is currently Of Counsel with a small business transaction and litigation firm, where she focuses on startup, organization, financing, maintenance, and sale of companies. A graduate of Wheaton College with a degree in mathematics and the University of Virginia School of Law, Patterson serves on the board of Rescue: Freedom International, an organization dedicated to providing aftercare for survivors of human trafficking.