Brandon Bastian grew up in Binghamton, NY and Manassas, VA, and served a full-time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints speaking Mandarin Chinese in San Jose and Carlsbad, CA. He graduated from Brigham Young University in 2009 with a bachelor's degree in psychology and minors in both English and music. He stays as actively involved in his interests as he can, participating in the Law School Choir, Spirit in the Law club, Family Law Society, and American Constitution Society meetings at the law school, and as a member of the BYU Singers on BYU's main campus. Brandon worked with the Office of General Counsel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City during summer 2011, when he and his wife also welcomed their first child, Annie. He also served during that summer as coordinator of the student team that assisted center personnel in drafting an amicus brief for the landmark religious freedom case, Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. EEOC. Brandon served as co-chair of the concierge/hosting committee for the 2011 International Law and Religion Symposium, acting a liaison with the Hosting Committee. He returned in 2012 as Chair of Hosting.