Staff

Jessica Marsden

Director of Impact Programs & Counsel

Jessica Marsden oversees Protect Democracy’s work to ensure free and fair elections, including litigation and advocacy around voting rights and disinformation, as well as Voteshield. She has also led work to combat partisan interference in election administration and to end the use of insecure voting technologies. Before joining Protect Democracy, she launched the Veterans Legal Assistance Project at the University of North Carolina School of Law, where she was an Equal Justice Works Fellow. She has also served as a clerk to the Honorable Susan L. Carney of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the Honorable Keith P. Ellison of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. Jessica received her J.D. from Yale Law School and her B.A. from Yale College.

Work Themes

Featured in the Press

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Trump Allies Bombard the Courts, Setting Stage for Post-Election Fight (opens a new window)

  • September 29, 2024
  • The New York Times

The volume and last minute timing of the cases, along with statements from party officials and Trump allies, suggest a broader aim behind the effort: Laying the groundwork to challenge results after the vote. The claims in the lawsuits may well be revived — either in court or in the media — if Mr. Trump contests the outcome.

“Many of these cases reinforce particular narratives, particularly those about immigrants and voting,” said Jessica Marsden, a lawyer at Protect Democracy, a nonpartisan group that monitors elections. “Putting false claims in the form of a lawsuit is a way to sanitize and add legitimacy.”