Perryman Joins Supreme Court Justices, Prominent Voices in “Legal Powers” Section of Illustrious List 

Washington, D.C. – Democracy Forward President and CEO Skye Perryman has been recognized as one of the “Most Powerful Women” by Washingtonian magazine in the publication’s 60th anniversary issue – an honor that highlights Perryman’s substantial influence and the extensive and impactful work that Perryman and Democracy Forward have done to protect people, communities, and democracy.  

The Washingtonian’s list of 250 women, which is published every two years, includes 15 prominent lawyers, judges, and leaders in the “Legal Powers” section of the list where Perryman is recognized. Other women in the Legal Powers section include  Supreme Court Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson, Elena Kagan, and Sonia Sotomayor, former D.C. Attorney General Linda Singer, and Diane Seltzer, President-Elect of the D.C. Bar.

Perryman, a litigator and executive, took the helm as CEO of Democracy Forward a few months after January 6, 2021, in the midst of rising extremism in communities and courts across the country. She built a visionary team of legal, policy, and communications experts to confront anti-democratic extremism head-on, while also using the law to advance progress and a bold vision for the future. Since Inauguration, Democracy Forward has emerged as a leading legal institution defending the American people, the U.S. Constitution, and the rule of law. The organization has filed more than 100 legal actions in response to the Trump-Vance administration’s unlawful executive overreach and launched over 110 investigations, securing major wins that have served to halt or slow executive overreach, protect the legal profession, support the non-partisan civil service, safeguard education, civil rights and healthcare, reinstate funding for critical community programs and congressionally authorized climate and infrastructure projects, and promote the free press. Under  Perryman’s leadership, Democracy Forward also launched Democracy 2025, the strategic legal network that has been credited with producing the largest and most effective litigation strategy against unlawful executive action in U.S. history. Democracy Forward’s state and local practice is also nationally recognized.

“I am grateful that the Washingtonian has recognized the impactful work our team at Democracy Forward does every day in courts across the country. Despite the range of barriers we continue to face in our profession, and recent intensified attempts by some in power to roll back hard-fought progress that has been made, women lawyers are still shattering ceilings, blazing trials, and building power. It is an honor to be recognized alongside powerful women lawyers for the 60th Anniversary issue of the Washingtonian,” Perryman said.

The Washingtonian’s “Most Powerful Women” distinction is the latest in a series of recognition of Perryman’s work for its positive impact on people and communities, and for building and implementing innovative strategies in courts and communities across the country that harness the power of people and build a brighter future. This year alone, Perryman’s impactful leadership, vision, and legal work have earned her a spot on TIME Magazine’s TIME100 as one of the 100 Most Influential People in The World, one of The NonProfit Times’s Power & Influence Top 50 and their Influencer of the Year, a recipient of the Sissy Farenthold Social Justice Award by the Harris County Democratic Lawyers Association, and one of the 500 Most Influential People Shaping Policy by Washingtonian Magazine.

Perryman has dedicated her career to the pursuit of equality and justice under the law and to bettering her community. She has emerged as a national leader in the law and in her work on behalf of people and our democracy. Perryman is known for developing innovative legal strategies, building unique communities and coalitions, and values-based leadership. While she has received awards and recognition for her work as a private sector litigator, Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel, and legal executive, she is best known for her ability to leverage the power of ordinary Americans, businesses, industries, and unlikely allies to create impact in what is an increasingly critical time for our democracy and the legal profession as a whole. 

Perryman is a frequent guest lecturer and keynote speaker on matters at the intersection of law and policy. She has testified before the U.S. Congress and other expert bodies, and her legal work has been cited by the U.S. Supreme Court as well as state supreme courts. She has also been invaluable in efforts to communicate the significance of this moment to the broader American public, regularly appearing on network and cable television as well as in digital media, with her work and commentary routinely covered in outlets such as The New York Times, NPR, NBC News, The Washington Post, Texas Monthly, The Atlantic, The Houston Chronicle, Teen Vogue, MSNBC, Newsweek and CNN.

To learn more about Perryman and Democracy Forward, please click here. 

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Democracy Forward Foundation 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.