Our Strategy
The majority of the American people believe in the promise and potential of democracy. But extreme, anti-democratic movements seek to wield political power and roll back our rights. At this critical moment, we must leverage our collective power to stop the law from being used in regressive ways and to build for a better future.
The courts are now a frontline in the battleground for democracy, not merely the last resort protectors of it.
Democracy Forward provides legal representation and expert counsel to people and communities who make up the very fabric of American democracy — free of charge.
Our strategic pillars incorporate immediate defensive needs and a longer-term, proactive view in this fight for our democracy, our present, and our future. We leverage creativity, legal excellence, and our team’s unique mix of expertise and diverse experience in service of an unyielding determination to make our future better than our past.
Our strategies yield impact:
Our Team
Our team consists of lawyers, policy experts, researchers, communications specialists, and operations professionals with deep experience and leadership in government, top-notch private law firms, and non-profit institutions. Many of our team members also have meaningful state and local experience. We leverage our team’s unique mix of skills and networks to meet this generational moment.
Clients and Partners
The broad and diverse range of clients and partners we have had the honor of representing and working alongside reflect the very fabric of our country and our democracy.
They include voters, workers, veterans, immigrants, educators, medical professionals, scientists, researchers, journalists, cities, counties, academics, parents, students, teachers, conservationists, community organizations, businesses, innovators, advocates, activists, public health experts, consumers, unions, and more.
See our full clients and partners list →
History
In the wake of the 2016 election, it was clear that the number and severity of threats to democracy, social progress, and the rule of law would be unprecedented. So a dedicated and spirited group of people left coveted jobs and beloved colleagues to build something new: Democracy Forward.
We built an innovative legal team that took the Trump administration to court more than 100 times, successfully challenging bad actors and their unlawful policies, shutting down corrupt committees created for special interests, and exposing unfair, unreasonable policies that stripped vulnerable communities of crucial protections. We secured victories that stopped abuses of power and improved the lives of millions. We filled critical gaps in the legal and regulatory infrastructure and developed a successful model for impact.
Our work challenging Trump-era policies prepared us for this moment and the long road ahead.
On January 6, 2021, violent rioters and insurrectionists executed a planned siege on our nation’s Capitol. Beyond that horrific day—in statehouses, courtrooms, and communities across the country—we see threats to democracy and the wellbeing of Americans.
Every news cycle revolves around democracy in crisis at all levels. More than one hundred of the country’s leading political scientists have declared that “our entire democracy is at risk,” given the movement in many state legislatures. And, a highly-resourced and coordinated group of far-right legal organizations are continuing to engage in their multi-decade campaign to roll back the rights of the American people and undermine our basic democratic institutions.
Despite these challenges, we know the American people can and will keep fighting for democracy.
At Democracy Forward, we use all available tools within and outside the courtroom to secure the promise of democracy for all Americans. We have never strayed in our commitment to combating extremism at every level, and we are more prepared today than ever before to push back on anti-democratic attacks in all forms they take.
Together, we can ensure our best days are ahead.