Kristen Clarke
Co-Director, NAACP Legal Defense Fund
Kristen Clarke is deeply committed to advancing civil rights, combating discrimination and promoting equal access to democracy for all. She currently serves as the Co-Director of the Political Participation Group at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF) - one of our nation's oldest and finest civil rights law firms founded under the direction of Thurgood Marshall. In her role, Ms. Clarke oversees and manages the organization's voting rights, redistricting, and election law docket. Ms. Clarke also handles redistricting litigation and frequently provides counsel and guidance to elected officials and advocates throughout the country regarding the central role of the Voting Rights Act in redistricting. Ms. Clarke was part of the LDF litigation team that successfully defended the Voting Rights Act against a constitutional challenge before the U.S. Supreme Court in Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District No. One v. Holder. She is currently defending core provisions of the Act against a constitutional challenge in Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder. In addition, she works to combat
voter suppression efforts including mandatory photo id, proof of citizenship requirements and other restrictive barriers while working to ensure that all eligible voters have full and equal access to the ballot box. Ms. Clarke has testified before both chambers of Congress, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, and numerous state legislatures on a range of voting rights and election reform matters. She also serves as the Co-Chair of the Voting Rights Task Force of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the nation's premier civil and human rights coalition. Prior to joining LDF, Ms. Clarke worked for several years in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice through the Attorney General's Honors Program. She served as a trial attorney in the Division's Voting Section and served as a Federal Prosecutor in the Division's Criminal Section handling a range of police misconduct, hate crimes, and human trafficking cases. While at the Department of Justice, she received a Special Commendation and
Performance Award for her work. In addition, she served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia where she prosecuted a number of domestic violence and assault cases. Ms. Clarke writes and comments frequently on issues concerning race, law, and democracy. Recent books include Barack Obama and African American Empowerment: The Rise of Black America's New Leadership (edited with Dr. Manning Marable) and Seeking Higher Ground: The Hurricane Katrina Crisis Race and Public Policy Reader (edited with Dr. Manning Marable). Her writing has appeared in a number of journals including the Harvard Civil Rights, Civil Liberties Law Review, the Houston Law Review, the Howard Law Journal and the Harvard Law & Policy Review. She is frequently called upon to lead presentations and provide expert commentary for numerous bar associations, civic organizations, law schools, universities and government groups. Ms. Clarke is a member of the New York, District of Columbia and U.S. Supreme Court Bars. She received her A.B. from Harvard University and her J.D. from Columbia Law School. In 2010, she was awarded Columbia Law School's Paul Robeson Distinguished Alumni Award. She is active with a number of organizations including the African American Coalition Against AIDS and Prep for Prep, and also has served on alumni boards for Choate Rosemary Hall and Columbia Law School. She is the proud mother of a 6-year old boy, Miles.
