Paul D. Castillo (he/him) is the Deputy Legal Director for Legal Education and Public Engagement at Lambda Legal, the oldest and largest national legal organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and people living with HIV. Castillo oversees the operations of Lambda Legal’s Help Desk, leads the development of legal public education materials, and supports pro bono partnerships through strategic initiatives and projects to increase impact for LGBTQ+ and HIV communities.

Since joining Lambda Legal in 2013, Castillo has played a significant role in many of the organization’s groundbreaking victories and landmark cases, including at the U.S. Supreme Court. As a member of the legal team in Obergefell v. Hodges, he helped secure the freedom to marry for same-sex couples nationwide. He was also lead counsel in Baskin v. Bogan and counsel in Robicheaux v. Caldwell, where he successfully challenged Indiana’s and Louisiana’s discriminatory marriage bans.

In 2015, Castillo served as lead counsel in Zzyym v. Pompeo—a first-of-its-kind lawsuit against the State Department on behalf of Dana Zzyym, an intersex and nonbinary Navy veteran who was denied an accurate passport. After a six-year legal battle with three favorable court rulings, Dana Zzyym became the first U.S. citizen to receive an official U.S. passport with an X gender marker in 2021.

Castillo is a national leader dedicated to advancing and protecting the civil rights of students. For over a decade, his litigation, policy, and advocacy work at Lambda Legal focused on ensuring equal access to educational opportunities for LGBTQ+ youth; promoting safe and inclusive learning environments; and representing LGBTQ+ students facing discrimination, harassment, and restrictions on their speech and activities at school.

Most recently, Castillo played a pivotal role in challenging Texas’s targeting of transgender youth by declaring gender affirming care to be child abuse; challenging bans on the provision of necessary gender affirming medical care to transgender youth in Texas and Louisiana; and, challenging an Oklahoma law that bans transgender students from using school restrooms consistent with their gender identity.

Castillo frequently raises awareness on issues that impact the LGBTQ+ and HIV communities, providing his expertise in media appearances and interviews to the Associated Press, Reuters, CNN, NBC News, BBC News, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, The Dallas Morning News, Time, Education Week, and Inside Higher Ed, among others.

Prior to joining Lambda Legal, Castillo enforced federal civil rights statutes for the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and served as private practice litigator. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin and graduated cum laude from Cleveland State University College of Law. He is a member of the state bars of Texas and Ohio.