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American Constitution Society
| American Constitution Society for Law and Policy | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Washington, D.C. |
| Type: | 501(c)(3) |
| Top official: | Zinelle October, Interim President |
| Founder(s): | Peter Rubin |
| Year founded: | 2001 |
| Website: | Official website |
| Board members | |
| David M. Brodsky (Chair) | |
The American Constitution Society for Law and Policy (ACS), often referred to as the American Constitution Society, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization describing itself as "the nation’s foremost progressive legal organization, with a diverse nationwide network that includes nearly 200 student and lawyer chapters, and progressive lawyers, students, judges, scholars, elected officials, and advocates."[1] The organization was founded in 2001.
Background
Attorney Peter Rubin founded the ACS in 2001. Rubin was a professor at Georgetown University Law Center who earlier worked at the law firm of O'Melveny and Myers, LLP and served as counsel to presidential candidate Al Gore (D) in the Supreme Court case Bush v. Gore. Rubin described the organization as a progressive-leaning counterpart to the Federalist Society: "We have a long way to go to be close to what the Federalist Society does in terms of the validity of their resources and the profound influence that they play in American law every day. But we're working on it and we're catching up."[2]
As of September 2025, the organization's stated mission was "to support and advocate for laws and legal systems that redress the founding failures of our Constitution, strengthen our democratic legitimacy, uphold the rule of law, and realize the promise of equality for all, including people of color, women, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, and other historically excluded communities."[1]
Leadership
As of September 2025, the following individuals held positions of leadership within the American Constitution Society:[3]
- Zinelle October, interim president
- Nathan Clark, chief financial officer
- Meghan Paulas, vice president of network advancement
- Christopher Wright Durocher, vice president of policy and program
- Zachary Gima, vice president of strategic engagement
- Ashley Erickson, senior director of network advancement
- Carlye Gibson Rooney, senior director of development
- Lindsay Langholz, senior director of policy and program
- Peggy Li, senior director of chapters
- Valerie M. Nannery, senior director of policy and program
- Nancy Rodriguez, director of communications
- Morgan Washburn, HR director
- Sylvester Lindsay, director of information technology
- Kendra McCormick, director of finance
- Taonga Leslie, director of policy and program for racial justice
- Thea Cohen, director of strategic engagement
As of September 2025, the following individuals sat on the American Constitution Society's board of directors:[4]
- Gabriella Barbosa
- Kesner Bienvenu
- Nicole Devereaux
- Kaisa Goodman
- Michele Goodwin
- Keith M. Harper
- Derek T. Ho
- Roscoe Jones, Jr.
- Peter Karanjia
- Joshua Matz
- Barbara L. McQuade
- Alice O'Brien
- Hayley Penan
- Gregory Rose
- Ralph J. Sutton
- Joyce Vance
Work and activities
Legislative and policy work
Issue advocacy
The ACS "works for positive change by shaping debate and generating resources and expertise on vitally important legal and constitutional issues including access to courts, voting, equality, and many other issues directly affecting people’s lives," focusing on the 13 following issue areas:[5]
- Access to Justice
- Constitutional Interpretation
- Criminal Justice
- Democracy and Elections
- Equality and Liberty
- First Amendment
- Immigration
- Importance of the Courts
- National Security and Civil Liberties
- Regulation and the Administrative State
- Separation of Powers and Federalism
- Technology Law and Intellectual Property
- Workers' Rights
Projects
The ACS's "various projects provide resources and best practices for policymakers, lawyers, and advocates on key legal issues as well as engage communities across the country in promoting the Constitution," with 15 projects listed as of September 2025:[6]
- Article V of the U.S. Constitution
- Constitution in the Classroom
- The Death Penalty in America
- Equal Rights Amendment
- Judicial Nominations
- Law and Political Economy
- Next Generation Leaders
- Path to the Bench
- Protecting Reproductive Rights
- Run. Vote. Work.
- SCOTUS Confirmation Processes
- State Attorneys General Project
- Supreme Court Reform
- Racial Justice Project
- Voting Rights Projects
Notable endorsements
This section displays endorsements this organization made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope. Know of one we missed? Click here to let us know.
Finances
The following is a breakdown of the American Constitution Society's revenues and expenses from 2001 to 2023. The information comes from ProPublica.
| Year | Revenue | Expenses |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | $0.5 million | $0.1 million |
| 2002 | $0.6 million | $0.4 million |
| 2003 | $1.3 million | $1.2 million |
| 2004 | $2.3 million | $1.6 million |
| 2005 | $3.3 million | $2.0 million |
| 2006 | $5.0 million | $2.7 million |
| 2007 | $3.0 million | $3.6 million |
| 2008 | $3.3 million | $4.2 million |
| 2009 | $4.5 million | $4.0 million |
| 2010 | $4.4 million | $4.2 million |
| 2011 | $4.1 million | $4.1 million |
| 2012 | $3.2 million | $4.2 million |
| 2013 | $6.9 million | $4.5 million |
| 2014 | $3.6 million | $4.6 million |
| 2015 | $4.5 million | $5.1 million |
| 2016 | $6.5 million | $5.0 million |
| 2017 | $6.4 million | $5.9 million |
| 2018 | $4.9 million | $6.4 million |
| 2019 | $8.2 million | $6.8 million |
| 2020 | $6.0 million | $5.5 million |
| 2021 | $5.6 million | $6.4 million |
| 2022 | $6.1 million | $6.6 million |
| 2023 | $8.7 million | $6.4 million |
See also
External links
- American Constitution Society official website
- American Constitution Society on Facebook
- American Constitution Society on X
- American Constitution Society on LinkedIn
- American Constitution Society on YouTube
- American Constitution Society on Instagram
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 American Constitution Society, "About ACS," accessed September 10, 2025
- ↑ Law.com, "Nationwide Law School Turf War Ignited," April 29, 2004
- ↑ American Constitution Society, "Staff," accessed September 10, 2025
- ↑ American Constitution Society, "Leadership," accessed September 10, 2025
- ↑ American Constitution Society, "Issues," accessed September 10, 2025
- ↑ American Constitution Society, "Projects," accessed September 10, 2025
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