Litigation Team Continues to Grow as Organization Increasingly Serves as Bulwark in Protection of People, Communities Against Harmful  Trump-Vance Administration Excesses 

Washington, D.C. – Four accomplished attorneys have joined Democracy Forward, the organization announced today. Senior Counsels Ryan Cooper, Jyoti Jasrasaria, and Jennie Kneedler, and Principal Deputy General Counsel Jess Blakemore are the latest additions to the growing legal team at Democracy Forward, which was recently dubbed “the single largest source of Trump’s legal troubles” by The Atlantic.

“As the Trump-Vance administration continues its all-out assault on the American people, the Constitution, and our democracy, we continue to grow our battle-tested team on the front lines of the fights required to defend them,” said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. “Democracy Forward continues to meet the administration’s harmful and unlawful conduct with swift legal action, leading to court orders that are protecting people.  These new team members will expand our capacity, enabling us to take on a growing number of matters.” 

Since Inauguration Day 2025, Democracy Forward has served as a critical bulwark against the unconstitutional actions of the Trump-Vance administration. The organization has filed hundreds of legal actions, securing multiple significant victories on behalf of unions, nonprofit organizations, veterans groups, houses of worship, parents, teachers, and more. With more than 60 attorneys on staff, Democracy Forward is continuing to level up to protect Americans and communities from harmful policies

The new additions to the Democracy Forward team include: 

Ryan Cooper joins Democracy Forward as Senior Counsel. Previously, Ryan was a litigator at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau where he worked on a wide variety of defensive, appellate, and amicus litigation. During his time at the CFPB, Ryan appeared on behalf of the agency in federal district and appellate courts around the country. Previously, he worked as an associate at a plaintiff-side class-action law firm in Washington, D.C. He also served as an Arthur Liman Public Interest Fellow at the Travis County Mental Health Public Defender in Austin, Texas. Ryan clerked for Judge Robert Pitman on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. 

Jyoti Jasrasaria joins Democracy Forward as Senior Counsel. Jyoti was a litigator at Elias Law Group and Perkins Coie, where she represented voters and advocacy organizations in election law matters across the country. In addition to litigating cases to expand and protect voting rights, she played a key role in securing fairer congressional maps in Alabama, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Minnesota during the 2021 redistricting cycle and successfully defended against attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Earlier in her career, Jyoti was a field organizer on President Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign in Florida and served as Special Assistant and as Director for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Jyoti clerked for Judge David Barron on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. 

Jennie Kneedler joins Democracy Forward as Senior Counsel, after serving as an Immigration Judge in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review. Jennie has extensive experience in federal district court litigation and immigration law, including as a managing attorney in the Detained Adult Program at the Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights Coalition (now Amica Center for Immigrant Rights), director of policy and pro bono for the American Bar Association’s Commission on Immigration, a Trial Attorney and Senior Trial Counsel with the Federal Programs Branch in the Civil Division at DOJ, an associate at Steptoe & Johnson LLP, and a law clerk for Judge Keith P. Ellison, United States District Judge for the Southern District of Texas. 

Jess Blakemore joins Democracy Forward as Principal Deputy General Counsel. Before joining Democracy Forward, Jess was Special Assistant to the President and Senior Associate Counsel in the White House Counsel’s Office. Prior to her legal roles at the White House, Jess practiced at Linklaters LLP in New York, focusing on corporate transactions, restructurings, and governance. Prior to attending law school, Jess held a variety of roles in the White House under President Obama and on political campaigns, gaining experience in government operations, policy development, and political strategy. Guided by a deep commitment to equity and democratic values, Jess has built a career at the intersection of law, public service, and advocacy. 

For more information about the team at Democracy Forward, please visit https://democracyforward.org/team/. 

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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.