Law Forward
| Founder | Jeff Mandell and Doug Poland |
|---|---|
| Founded at | Madison, Wisconsin |
| Location |
|
Law Forward is an American non-profit legal advocacy organization based in Madison, Wisconsin.[1] Jeff Mandell[2][3] and Doug Poland[4] founded Law Forward in October 2020.[5] Poland was notable for his role as a lead trial attorney in Gill v. Whitford, a major 2018 U.S. Supreme Court case involving the constitutionality of partisan gerrymandering.[6]
Law Forward is currently headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin.[7]
History
[edit]Law Forward was founded by Jeff Mandell,[8][9] who serves as its Leader Counsel and Board President, as well as Doug Poland,[10] who serves as its Litigation Director.[11][12]
In 2021, Law Forward requested Milwaukee County District Attorney John T. Chisholm to launch an investigation on Republicans who had sent fraudulent electoral college certifications for Donald Trump during the 2020 U.S. Presidential elections.[13][14][15][16]
In January 2022, Law Forward also appealed a judge's order barring Wisconsin ballot drop boxes for the February 15 election.[17] Another one of Law Forward's ongoing cases in 2022 seeks to reinstate voters.[18]
Issues
[edit]Law Forward specializes in diverse issues, including voter suppression, election interference,[19] gerrymandering,[20] and minority voting rights.[21][22][23] It also focuses on politics in Wisconsin politics,[18][24][25] including state-level elections[26] and voting issues.[27] It is also a non-partisan strategic litigation firm according to Mandell.[28]
People
[edit]The Legal Advisory Council at Law Forward includes former legislators, politicians, and judges.[29]
- Hon. Russ Feingold, Former United States Senator from Wisconsin, President of the American Constitution Society, Honorary Co-Chair
- Hon. Barbara Lawton, Former Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin, Honorary Co-Chair
- Hon. Paul Higginbotham, Former Judge for the Wisconsin Court of Appeals
- Ian Bassin, Executive Director of Protect Democracy
Staff attorneys include Mel Barnes, who has written reports with Norm Eisen, Norman Ornstein, Jeff Mandell, and others.[30]
Media
[edit]Mandell has been interviewed in various media outlets, including the Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC,[16] The Washington Post,[31] and others.
References
[edit]- ^ Marley, Patrick. "Attorneys warn they will take case over fake electors to court if Wisconsin officials don't act soon". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- ^ "The organized takeover of Wisconsin courts". July 29, 2021.
- ^ "Trump files new case in lawsuit barrage, looking to Wisconsin's legislature to flip outcome". ABC News.
- ^ Marley, Patrick. "Law Forward is a new law firm meant to push back against conservatives". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- ^ "Clear and present danger". January 15, 2021.
- ^ Cieslewicz, Dave (July 9, 2019). "All hope is not (quite) lost". Isthmus | Madison, Wisconsin.
- ^ "Wisconsin GOP Lawmakers Have Introduced 11 Restrictive Voting Bills, Analysis Finds". UpNorthNews | Wisconsin News For You. 7 May 2021.
- ^ Kroll, Andy (February 6, 2022). "Wisconsin Is Ground Zero for the MAGA Effort to Steal the Next Election". Rolling Stone.
- ^ "PolitiFact - What you need to know about the fake Trump electors". @politifact.
- ^ "After heated debate, Senate passes GOP voting maps". November 9, 2021.
- ^ Grynbaum, Michael M. (22 October 2020). "Trump Posts '60 Minutes' Interview He Cut Short After Bristling at Questions". The New York Times.
- ^ "Wisconsin justices skeptical of conservative redistricting proposal". January 15, 2021.
- ^ Helderman, Rosalind S. (2020-11-22). "In last-gasp maneuver, Trump campaign tries to invalidate thousands of votes as Wisconsin recount gets underway". Washington Post. Retrieved 2022-04-25.
- ^ "U.S. Justice Dept. to investigate Republicans who sent fake Trump electors to Congress". January 27, 2022.
- ^ Sisk, Courtney (January 27, 2022). "Wisconsin Republicans sent fake electoral college certifications for Trump". WISN.
- ^ a b "Transcript: The Rachel Maddow Show, 12/21/21". MSNBC.com. 22 December 2021.
- ^ Kelly, Jack (20 January 2022). "Law Forward appeals judge's order barring Wisconsin ballot drop boxes". The Cap Times.
- ^ a b "Wisconsin lawsuit seeks voter reinstatement for 31K after purge". Associated Press. December 22, 2021.
- ^ "Report shows the extent of Republican efforts to sabotage democracy". the Guardian. December 24, 2021.
- ^ "Redistricting debate begins with a rushed GOP plan in the Legislature". June 8, 2021.
- ^ "Federal court allows Wisconsin redistricting case to proceed". AP NEWS. September 16, 2021.
- ^ "Safar takes the helm at Law Forward". September 13, 2021.
- ^ "Court battles over Wisconsin redistricting heat up". September 7, 2021.
- ^ Johnson, Shawn (October 22, 2020). "Wisconsin Progressives Forming Nonprofit Law Firm With Election, Redistricting On Horizon". Wisconsin Public Radio.
- ^ "The voter fraud you didn't hear about: Wisconsin's Electoral College imposters". February 16, 2021.
- ^ "Proposed Wisconsin elections laws could be illegal". May 3, 2021.
- ^ Marley, Patrick. "Wisconsin Republicans seek to limit the use of private donations to help run elections". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- ^ Fortis, Louis (May 11, 2021). "Restoring Democracy in Wisconsin". Shepherd Express.
- ^ "Legal Advisory Council". Law Forward.
- ^ "Filibuster reform is coming—here's how". 13 September 2021.
- ^ Helderman, Rosalind S. (2021-12-16). "'A real conflagration': Wisconsin emerges as front line in war over the 2020 vote". Washington Post. Retrieved 2022-04-25.