Democracy Forward and our team members have been recognized by national organizations, industry leaders, and media organizations for our excellence in delivering visionary work on behalf of people and communities.
- Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia honored Democracy Forward President and CEO Skye Perryman as the 2026 Woman Lawyer of the Year at the organization’s annual dinner at the National Building Museum. The Woman Lawyer of the Year award recognizes attorneys who have championed change in the legal profession through advocacy, leadership, and the advancement of justice and the interests of women in the law.
- Jane Doe Inc honored Democracy Forward with the Community Action award in recognition of our work to protect funding for domestic violence and sexual assault survivors from unlawful federal restrictions.
- The District of Columbia Coalition Against Domestic Violence (DCCADV) honored Democracy Forward at its 40th anniversary celebration for our work representing DCCADV and more than 20 state coalitions in lawsuits challenging unlawful grant restrictions at the U.S. Departments of Justice, Housing and Urban Development, and Health and Human Services.
- The American Bar Association’s Human Rights Magazine named Democracy Forward a Human Rights Hero of Our Time in recognition of our efforts to protect the rule of law through pro bono legal representation.
- The National Association of Minority Contractors (NAMC) honored Democracy Forward at our annual gala in recognition of our intervention on their behalf in Mid-America Milling Co. v. DOT, and efforts to ensure that the voices of minority- and women-owned businesses are heard in a case that directly threatened their opportunity to participate fairly in federally funded transportation work. Senior Counsel Brooke Menschel and President & CEO Skye Perryman accepted the award for Democracy Forward.
- DC SAFE presented Legal Director Robin Thurston, Senior Counsel Kristin Bateman, and Skye Perryman with our Keep DC SAFE Mission Impact Award at their annual gala, celebrating our work to defend and uphold the Violence Against Women Act in Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence, et al. v. Bondi, et al.
- American Public Health Association awarded Democracy Forward with the Presidential Citation for 2025 in recognition of outstanding contributions to the advancement of public health or the public health profession.
- Feminist Majority Foundation named Democracy Forward and Skye Perryman as the 2025 Resister-In-Law at their Global Women’s Rights Award.
- Surfrider Foundation awarded Democracy Forward our Distinguished Legal Service Award for our work in Conservation Law Foundation v. William Barr et al. Legal Director Robin Thurston and former Senior Counsel Samara Spence accepted the award for Democracy Forward.
- Power to Decide awarded the Sarah S. Brown Award for collective efforts to defend the federal Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) Program to Democracy Forward, Public Citizen, and Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
- Time Magazine named Skye Perryman, Democracy Forward President & CEO, to the TIME 100: The 100 Most Influential People in the World of 2025 list.
- NonProfit Times Power & Influence named Skye Perryman as Influencer of the Year, as well as to their P&I Top 50 list.
- The National Community Development Association recognized Democracy Forward and senior counsel Senior Counsel Kristin Bateman with the Excellence in Leadership Award for our work in protecting federal funding that helps house hundreds of thousands of people, including seniors, people with disabilities, veterans, families with children, and LGBTQ+ youth.
- UnidosUS awarded Democracy Forward with the “2026 UnidosUS Capital Award for Public Service” in recognition of the work done to date in Center for Taxpayer Rights et al. v Internal Revenue Service et al, a case challenging the Trump-Vance administration’s unprecedented efforts to skirt federal privacy laws that protected taxpayers’ sensitive information.