Democracy Forward, Which Has Filed More than 50 Legal Actions Since Inauguration, Adds To Its Growing Bench of Talent 

Washington D.C. – National legal organization Democracy Forward is adding former officials and attorneys from the U.S. Department of Justice, continuing to deepen its growing bench of talent as the organization continues to scale the scope and reach of its work to protect the American people and defend the rule of law, it announced today. The newest additions to the organization bring both former top Justice Department officials and experienced career litigators from the Department as the administration sees a continued exodus of talented lawyers amid attacks on the judiciary and rule of law. 

New team members include former Deputy Associate Attorney General Jodie Morse, who will serve as Democracy Forward’s Chief Program and Strategy Office and Senior Counselor; former Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Netter, who will serve as one of the organization’s Legal Directors; Senior Counsels Pooja Boisture and Cynthia Liao, and Senior Staff Attorney Christine Coogle.

“Democracy Forward’s strength has always been in its talented and dedicated staff, and we are incredibly honored to strengthen our bench with the addition of these committed and talented litigators and leaders. In the past few months as the Trump-Vance administration has sought to govern by chaos, shock, and awe, our team has been on the frontlines of protecting the American people, swiftly filing lawsuits and winning court orders that have stopped freezes on funding and essential services, prevented DOGE from accessing Americans’ personal data, protected due process and more. The pace at which the administration is seeking to dismantle our checks and balances and our democracy requires that we continue to grow to meet the moment, and this team of litigators will help us do just that,” said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. 

Since January 20, Democracy Forward has filed 58 legal actions and launched 82 investigations, securing major wins and bringing together a unique coalition of more than 500 organizations to address this Administration’s harmful policies impacting the American people. The organization’s staff has also frequently appeared on tele-townhalls across the nation, speaking with hundreds of thousands of concerned Americans and touching the lives of millions as the organization’s robust work in states and local communities continues. 

Jodie Morse joins Democracy Forward as Chief Program and Strategy Officer after most recently serving as Deputy Associate Attorney General at the Department of Justice, and as the Executive Director of the Reproductive Rights Task Force, where she led the Department’s work to safeguard reproductive freedoms under federal law following the Dobbs decision. Immediately prior to the Department of Justice, Jodie worked at the White House and the Office of Management and Budget. A founding member of the Democracy Forward litigation team, Jodie also previously served as Deputy General Counsel in the Office of General Counsel in the U.S. House of Representatives. She clerked for Judge Harry T. Edwards of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and Judge Raymond J. Dearie of the Eastern District of New York.

Brian Netter joins Democracy Forward as Legal Director after most recently serving as Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division at the U.S. Department of Justice. In that role, he oversaw the Federal Programs Branch and personally handled particularly sensitive matters, advancing the Administration’s positions on reproductive rights, student loan relief, the response to the pandemic, executive privilege, and Medicare drug-price negotiations. Brian received his B.S.E. and M.S.E. in industrial and operations engineering from the University of Michigan, his J.D. from Yale Law School, and subsequently served as a law clerk to Judge Judith W. Rogers of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and Justice Stephen G. Breyer.

Pooja Boisture joins Democracy Forward as Senior Counsel, most recently serving as an attorney in the Appellate Section of the Department of Justice, Tax Division, where she represented the United States before federal courts of appeals in cases involving tax and administrative law issues. Prior to working in the DOJ, Boisture worked for Debevoise & Plimpton, as well as Hogan Lovells. She had a diverse private practice, where she worked on commercial litigation, white collar investigations, and appeals, and had an active pro bono docket. Boisture clerked for Judge Jane R. Roth of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.  

Cynthia Liao joins Democracy Forward as a Senior Counsel after most recently serving as a trial attorney in the Federal Programs Branch of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division, where she litigated high-stakes challenges to federal regulations and enforcement actions in district courts across the country. Before that, she worked at the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) for 7 years, most recently as a senior counsel to the Solicitor of Labor. Her portfolio included constitutional and administrative law issues affecting DOL programs, DOL’s Supreme Court and amicus docket, and workers’ compensation, among others. Cynthia clerked for Judge David O. Carter of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and Judge Michael D. Hawkins of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Christine Coogle joins Democracy Forward as a Senior Staff Attorney, having previously served as a trial attorney in the Federal Programs Branch of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. In that role, Coogle represented the government in high-stakes constitutional and statutory challenges in federal district courts nationwide. Prior to her work at DOJ, Christine clerked for Judge Susan L. Carney on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and for Judge Peter J. Messitte on the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.

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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.