Washington, D.C. – Skye Perryman, the President and CEO of Democracy Forward, who has led the organization to become a critical bulwark against rising threats of autocracy in the United States, has been recognized by the Women’s Bar Association (WBA) of the District of Columbia as the 2026 Woman Lawyer of the Year, the organization announced today.
The Woman Lawyer of the Year Award recognizes a leader who has championed change in the profession by leading by example, advocating for justice, and promoting the advancement of women in the profession.
“Members of the Women’s Bar Association of DC have served as friends, mentors, and trusted advisors to me throughout my legal career and it is an incredible honor to be recognized by this community at such a critical time for the nation. This honor is a testament to the excellence, courage, hard work, and dedication of every member of the Democracy Forward team and the courage and convictions of our clients who are showing the nation a path forward in an unreal time,” said Perryman. “The need for lawyers to defend people’s rights, our Constitution, and our democracy is critical in this time and I am grateful to the Women’s Bar Association of DC for providing leadership across the profession and the bar, and for its steady commitment to core values of justice and equality and the advancement of women in the profession.”
Democracy Forward has played a leading role in inspiring courage and in protecting the American people from harmful and unlawful federal executive action. Under Perryman’s leadership, the organization filed hundreds of legal actions in the past year alone and achieved significant wins that have protected hundreds of millions of Americans, launched hundreds of investigations, and, through its Democracy 2025 initiative, organized the largest, most successful affirmative litigation effort against executive branch excesses in U.S. history. Named a “Human Rights Hero” by the American Bar Association, Democracy Forward has defended the legal profession, bringing together lawyers of all ideological backgrounds to oppose threats on lawyers, judges, and the profession as a whole.
Known for her strategic insight and impact-oriented leadership, Ms. Perryman has a track record of winning tough legal and policy battles, uniting diverse coalitions, inspiring the American public, and elevating voices that represent the fabric of our country to deliver results that improve the lives of millions. Over the course of her nearly two decade legal career, Ms. Perryman has served in executive positions and has provided legal and strategic counsel for a broad range of clients and institutions. She previously served as Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists where she oversaw strategies that resulted in historic advancements in access to health care, including developing strategies to support the extension of postpartum Medicaid coverage for more than 500,000 people, overseeing litigation that enabled the distribution of mifepristone by mail for the first time in U.S. history, launching an industry-wide effort to address racism and promote racial equity in medicine, and leading comprehensive legal and policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Perryman was previously a member of Democracy Forward’s founding legal team and is a proud alumni of both WilmerHale and Covington & Burling, where she began her legal career and gained the trust of clients in the health care, financial services, education, and consumer products industries while simultaneously maintaining an active pro bono practice.
Perryman’s leadership and legal work has been recognized widely for its positive impact, including being named one of the Time 100’s 2025 100 Most Influential People In The World, one of the Most Powerful Women, Legal Powers by Washingtonian Magazine, one of The NonProfit Times’s Power & Influence Top 50 and their 2025 Influencer of the Year, and is a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award for the Pursuit of Justice by the O’Neill Institute at her alma mater, Georgetown University Law Center, among others.
Perryman grew up in Waco, Texas and is a proud product of K-12 public education. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Philosophy magna cum laude from Baylor University where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and a Juris Doctor with honors from the Georgetown University Law Center where she served as an Editor for the American Criminal Law Review.
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Democracy Forward is a national legal organization that advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy, public education, and regulatory engagement. For more information, please visit www.democracyforward.org.
