Amid Substantial Attacks on the Rule of Law and the Independence of the Department of Justice, More Litigators Join Efforts to Advance Democracy

Washington, D.C. – Four former United States Department of Justice (DOJ) attorneys have joined the legal team at Democracy Forward, the group announced today. New Senior Counsels Lisa Newman and Tsuki Hoshijima and Counsels Ally Scher and Cortney Robinson Henderson add to the already deep bench of experienced former government attorneys working at Democracy Forward to defend people and democracy from harmful Trump administration efforts. 

Today’s news follows an announcement last month that Democracy Forward has added former top Justice Department officials and experienced career litigators as the administration sees a continued exodus of talented lawyers amid the administration’s attacks on the judiciary and rule of law. 

“As the nation experiences generationally defining attacks on the rule of law and the Constitution, we are heartened that talented lawyers who have dedicated their careers to serving our nation are joining our team to continue the essential work to oppose attacks on the American people’s rights and our democratic system of government,” said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. “Over the first 100 days of the Trump-Vance administration, our team met the administration’s harmful and unlawful conduct with swift legal action. In the days ahead, this will continue to be essential and we are grateful to be able to add to our team.”

Democracy Forward has emerged as a critical bulwark against the unconstitutional actions the new administration has taken since inauguration. The organization has filed 64 legal actions, launched more than 80 investigations, and issued nearly 750 FOIA requests since January 20, resulting in significant victories that directly safeguard Americans from harmful policies.

Lisa Newman joins Democracy Forward in the role of Senior Counsel. Lisa most recently served as a trial attorney for the Federal Programs Branch at DOJ, where she litigated high-profile constitutional and administrative law challenges to federal statutes, executive orders, and other government programs and agency actions across a wide range of federal laws, including reproductive healthcare, national security, controlled substances, religious freedom, telecommunications, and data security. Lisa also served as a member of DOJ’s Reproductive Rights Team where she developed litigation strategy, before and after Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. This work included the United States’ lawsuit against Texas to enjoin the State’s unprecedented pre-Dobbs abortion ban, and a lawsuit to enjoin Idaho’s abortion ban to allow women to access health-and life-preserving abortion care. For this work, Lisa received the Special Commendation to the Post-Dobbs Reproductive Freedom Team for Outstanding Service to the Civil Division.

Tsuki Hoshijima joins Democracy Forward as a Senior Counsel, having most recently served as a Senior Attorney for Litigation Policy and Strategy in the DOJ’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. In this role, Tsuki focused on litigating high-profile appellate challenges to regulations issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, including greenhouse gas and power plant regulations. He also advised on cross-cutting legal and strategic issues. Hoshijima also served as an Attorney-Adviser in the DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel, where he advised the White House and a variety of Executive Branch agencies on a wide range of legal issues.

Ally Scher joins Democracy Forward as a Counsel after most recently serving as a Trial Attorney in the Federal Programs Branch of the Department of Justice. In this role, Ally represented federal agencies in high-profile constitutional and statutory challenges to federal programs and regulations in district courts nationwide. Prior to her work at DOJ, Ally served as an Attorney-Adviser in the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) Office of Law & Policy, where she advised the General Counsel and agency components on CFPB’s authorities and other matters related to administrative law.

Cortney Robinson Henderson joins Democracy Forward in the role of Counsel after most recently serving as a trial attorney in the Commercial Litigation Branch of the Civil Division at DOJ. In this role, she managed complex civil litigation and bankruptcy matters on behalf of the federal government, handling all aspects of case strategy, negotiation, and advocacy. Prior to her government service, Cortney was a litigation associate at Jones Day, where she worked on a range of civil matters and maintained an active pro bono practice focused on housing, probate law, and civil rights matters.

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

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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.