Four former United States Department of Justice (DOJ) attorneys have joined the legal team at Democracy Forward in Washington, D.C. New Senior Counsels Lisa Newman and Tsuki Hoshijima and Counsels Ally Scher and Cortney Robinson Henderson add to a bench of former government attorneys working at Democracy Forward.
The additions bring Democracy Forward’s team to 50 full-time lawyers. The organization has filed 64 legal actions, launched more than 80 investigations, and issued nearly 750 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests since January 20, resulting in multiple victories, including getting federal funding restored to numerous organizations.
The new additions follow an announcement last month that Democracy Forward added former top DOJ 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,” Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, said via a statement. “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.”
Lisa Newman joined Democracy Forward in the role of senior counsel. Newman 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.
Newman was a member of DOJ’s Reproductive Rights Team where she developed litigation strategy, before and after Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization..
Tsuki Hoshijima joined Democracy Forward also as a senior counsel, having most recently was a senior attorney for Litigation Policy and Strategy in the DOJ’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. In that 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 was 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 joined Democracy Forward as a counsel after most recently serving as a trial attorney in the Federal Programs Branch of the DOJ. Scher 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, Scher was 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 joined Democracy Forward as a counsel after most recently serving as a trial attorney in the Commercial Litigation Branch of the Civil Division at DOJ. She managed 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.
