Staff

Jessica Marsden

Director of Impact Programs & Counsel

Jessica Marsden oversees Protect Democracy’s work to combat the consolidation of power and engage new constituencies to support democracy over autocracy. Prior to 2025, she led Protect Democracy’s strategic efforts to stop election subversion. In that role, she oversaw multidisciplinary teams leading litigation and advocacy strategies to ensure free and fair elections in 2022 and 2024. She was a frequent writer and speaker on election subversion and the threat of partisan interference in election administration.

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.”