May Mailman, born Sylvia May Davis on June 4, 1988, is a prominent American attorney and conservative political advisor
A Harvard Law graduate, she served in pivotal roles during the Trump administration and later in Ohio’s Attorney General’s office.
In 2023 she led the Independent Women’s Law Center before being appointed Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Policy Strategist in January 2025.
She is married to David Mailman and they share two young daughters. Her policy work centers on legal activism around Title IX, women’s rights, and gender definitions.
Also Read: What Is May Mailman’s Ethnicity? Religion Explored, Married Life, Net Worth 2023 and More
Table of Contents
Who Is May Mailman?
Early Life & Background
May was raised in Goodland, Kansas, a tight‑knit rural community of about 4,000 residents, by her father Ben Davis (with roots in New Orleans) and her mother Casey Davis, who emigrated from Seoul, South Korea.1
In high school she participated actively in 4‑H and livestock fairs and said her small‑town upbringing taught her to work hard and excel even in humble settings.
Education & Teaching Experience
After graduating from Clay Center Community High School in 2006, she earned a B.S. in Journalism from the University of Kansas (class of 2010), where she served as student‑body vice president.2
She later joined Teach for America, teaching sixth grade in Kansas City from 2010 to 2012.3
She then pursued her J.D. at Harvard Law School, graduating in 2015, where she served as president of the Harvard Federalist Society.
May Mailman’s Legal Career & Early Government Service
Following law school, Mailman clerked for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (2016–2017).
She then practiced litigation at Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell LLP in Denver before entering public service.
In 2017, she joined the Trump White House in senior legal and policy positions:
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Special Assistant and Associate Staff Secretary (2017–2018)
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Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Policy Coordinator (2018–2019)
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Associate White House Counsel (2019–2021)
Her portfolio included immigration, healthcare, and COVID‑19 policy—such as controversial guidance changes during the pandemic.
So proud https://t.co/L3SIrtlkKX
— May Mailman (@MayMailman) July 23, 2025
State Government & Nonprofit Leadership
From 2021 to mid‑2023, Mailman served as Deputy Solicitor General of Ohio, litigating high‑profile cases like challenges to the vaccine‑or‑test mandate for large employers.
In April 2023, she joined Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections (RITE) as Vice President of Legal, Strategy, and Communications.4
In January 2024, she became Director of the Independent Women’s Law Center (IWLC), the legal branch of the Independent Women’s Forum.
There she led litigation, media campaigns, and congressional testimony, particularly opposing the Biden administration’s Title IX rewrite and championing efforts to define biological sex in law and protect single-sex spaces like sororities and women’s sports.
Federal Role (2025–Present)
On January 18, 2025, Mailman was appointed Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Policy Strategist under Trump.
She played a leading role in crafting executive orders on sex definitions and women’s sports, and she reportedly has engaged privately with university officials to avoid federal enforcement actions over Title IX compliance.
Stats Table
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Sylvia May Davis “May” Mailman |
| Date of Birth / Age | June 4, 1988 (age 37 as of July 2025) |
| Place of Birth / Upbringing | New Orleans origins; raised in Goodland, Kansas |
| Education | B.S. in Journalism (University of Kansas), J.D. (Harvard Law School) |
| Early Career | Teach for America teacher; law clerk; litigation associate |
| White House Roles | Staff Secretary, Deputy Policy Coordinator, Associate White House Counsel |
| Ohio Role | Deputy Solicitor General (2021–2023) |
| RITE Position | VP of Legal, Strategy & Communications (April 2023) |
| IWLC Role | Director (January 2024 – mid 2025) |
| Senior Federal Role | Deputy Assistant to the President & Senior Policy Strategist (since Jan 2025) |
| Spouse | David Mailman (married June 2021) |
| Children | 2 daughters: first born Nov 18, 2022; second born early 2024 |
| Residences | The Woodlands, Texas; frequent travel to Washington, D.C. |
Expanded Narrative
From Rural 4‑H to the White House
May Mailman often recounts her youthful experience in 4‑H livestock competitions, sharing how her pig never walked straight for judges—yet the experience shaped her work ethic and resilience in small‑town Kansas.
She credits those humble roots with driving her excellence at every level—from student‑body leadership to federal policy making.
May Mailman’s Rise Through Law & Conservative Networks
At Harvard Law, Mailman led the Federalist Society and worked to network with future policy makers.
She has described her path to the White House not as the product of elite privilege, but through consistent performance and professional visibility, telling IW Features: “be the best garbage‑truck driver you can be”—meaning excellence in any role leads you to opportunity.5
Activism & Advocacy in Women’s Law
As IWLC director, Mailman became a fixture in national advocacy.
In May 2024 she featured on the She Thinks podcast as lead counsel in the Westenbroek v. Kappa Kappa Gamma lawsuit, defending women’s sorority organizations in court over the legal definition of “woman”.
Back at “The Center of the Universe”
Upon returning to the White House in 2025, she became a central architect of executive orders on legal sex definitions and women’s sports protections.
These policies aligned with IWLC’s long‑standing legal strategy and predated new legislation supported in Congress.
FAQ’s About May Mailman
Q: How old is May Mailman?
A: She was born June 4, 1988, so she is 37 years old as of July 2025.
Q: What is her ethnic and family background?
A: Her father has New Orleans roots; her mother emigrated from Seoul. She grew up in rural Kansas in a mixed‑heritage, middle‑class Christian household.
Q: Where did she study?
A: May earned a Journalism degree from the University of Kansas in 2010, later earned her J.D. from Harvard Law School in 2015, where she led the Federalist Society.
Q: What roles did she play in the Trump administration?
A: She held several senior positions between 2017 and 2021—from Staff Secretary roles to Associate Counsel—working on immigration, healthcare, executive authority, and pandemic response.
Q: What did she do in Ohio?
A: As Deputy Solicitor General of Ohio (2021–2023), she litigated high‑stakes state cases, including the vaccine‑or‑test employer mandate challenge.
Q: What is IWLC and her role there?
A: The Independent Women’s Law Center is the legal arm of a conservative nonprofit. As director from early 2024, she led cases on Title IX, women’s sports, and sex-based legal protections.
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Summary
May Mailman, a Harvard‑trained attorney and conservative legal strategist, rose from rural Kansas to the pinnacle of legal policy in Washington.
From teaching classrooms to drafting executive orders, she has blended legal acumen with public advocacy.
Married with two daughters, she remains a central figure shaping Title IX and women’s rights policies as a senior policy advisor in the Trump administration.
Let me know if you’d like further expansion—such as direct quotes, detailed case summaries, or interviews—and I can provide more depth.
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