Interning in Election Law
A sample of where our students go to put their legal skills to use.
William & Mary Students pursue externships during the school year and internships over the summer to hone their research and communication skills in environments where election law is practiced. These environments range from law firms, to voting rights organizations, to government agencies, and provide experience to suppliment students' election law course work.
Rachel Hottendorf '26
Rachel spent her 1L summer in Washington D.C. at the Brennan Center for Justice, a nonprofit law and policy institute. As a summer legal intern in the Democracy Program, Rachel conducted research for voting rights-related amicus briefs in support of pending litigation. She also had the opportunity to explore her interest in campaign finance by monitoring recent campaign finance reforms across the country. With an eye toward the 2024 election, Rachel tracked ongoing voting rights and election certification litigation in battleground states. Rachel received mentorship from attorneys of all levels at the Brennan Center, enjoyed the emphasis on democracy research at Brennan’s D.C. office, and appreciated the intimate environment which enabled her to build relationships with experienced attorneys and practitioners, including the directors of various programs and W&M alumni.
Rachel is currently externing for Commissioner and Vice-Chair Ellen L. Weintraub at the Federal Election Commission. She has gained substantive legal experience by researching and summarizing policy and litigation materials, including pending matters and rule-making and enforcement actions.
Camden Kelliher '21
Legal Intern, U.S. Election Assistance Commission; Legal Intern, Andalas University (Indonesia)
I spent the summer of 2018 in Indonesia in a partnership with Andalas University. I conducted research on 
the local elections across the country and the eventual synchronization of those elections. Working with both University staff and Judges of the Indonesian Constitutional Court, I published a manuscript in the Election Law Journal on my findings. That article is available here: https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/elj.2018.0535.
After a stint with the U.S. Agency for International Development in the summer of 2019, I joined the U.S. Election Assistance Commission's Office of General Counsel as an intern in the spring of 2020. I joined as an intern at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and continued as an intern through the summer of 2020. As a joint-degree student, I had a 4th year in school and was able to stay on with the EAC through my final year of school. Following that I was offered my current position as Law Clerk for the Office of the General Counsel. Both as an intern and Law Clerk I assist the Office of General Counsel in a variety of administrative law tasks that support the Commission's overall mission.
Helen Brewer '21
Legal Intern, Caplin & Drysdale; Legal Intern, National Conference of State Legislatures
In the fall of 2020, I externed with Caplin & Drysdale's Political Law Group, based out of their Washington, 
D.C. office. Working remotely, I helped my supervising attorneys compile information about election statutes across the country, focusing especially on Electoral College proceedings and recount processes in swing states. The firm's political law group serves as election law analysts for one of the major news networks on election night, so my work was designed to prep their journalists to cover complex election law issues as they might arise on Election Day. I joined my supervisors at the network offices on Election Day to monitor and analyze lawsuits relating to polling place operations and ballot counting timelines as they arose throughout the day.
During the summer of 2019, I interned with the National Conference of State Legislatures' Center for Legislative Strengthening. I also worked closely with NCSL's Elections Team. I researched different recall election statutes in place across the country and updated NCSL's public-facing webpage displaying that information. I also published pieces on NCSL's blog regarding recall elections and legislative term limits, among other things. I had the opportunity to collaborate with my supervisor and use my research to conduct a meeting with a state legislator who wanted to learn about the differences in how recalls are conducted in different states to inform potential reform ideas in the legislator's state.
These experiences were invaluable to my legal education and were instrumental in preparing me to enter the election law world after graduation. I am currently working for the Electoral Innovation Lab & Princeton Gerrymandering Project as a Legal Analyst.
Maxwell Weiss '22
Legal Intern, U.S. Federal Election Commission; Summer Associate, Venable, LLP; Legal Intern, Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Voting Section
I spent the summer (and fall) of 2020 interning in the Office of Commissioner Weintraub at the Federal Election Commission (FEC). During my eight months, I had the opportunity to 
participate in policy and litigation matters, including enforcement actions, rulemakings, and advisory opinions. With the 2020 presidential cycle in full force, I was also lucky enough to help the Commissioner with her frequent public outreach duties. I was able to stay involved in election law matters as a summer associate at Venable, where I learned about the private sector’s role in campaigns.
In my fall 3L, I moved to DC to intern for the DOJ’s Voting Section in its Civil Rights Division. Through my role there, I had a front row seat to a variety of voting rights litigation, specifically challenges under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Additionally, I was significantly involved in the department’s work regarding the decennial redistricting process, as the census data was released right before I started! I would not have had any of these opportunities had it not been for Professor Green and the robust election law program at W&M.
Peter Rechter '16
Legal Intern, Fair Elections Legal network
I spent the summer of 2014 working as a legal intern with the Fair Elections Legal Network, a group of attorneys dedicated to to removing barriers to voting and improving election administration across the United States. At FELN, I focused on challenges faced by student voters. Specifically, I drafted memos on state implementation of HAVA ID requirements, state proof of citizenship requirements, and the Virginia State Board of Election's implementation of Virginia’s voter ID law. I also had the opportunity to compose persuasive letters to multiple Secretaries of State advocating for the removal of misleading voter information from their publications. Throughout the summer I attended Senate hearings on election administration and new voting technology and sat in on conference calls with our ally organizations.
Allison Davis '16
Summer Associate, Clark Hill PLC
I spent the summer and fall of 2014 working as a law clerk for the general counsel of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), the official campaign committee of the Senate Republicans. As a law clerk, I assisted the general counsel with all matters related to NRSC's target races for the 2014 election cycle. My projects included researching and composing election and recount statute summaries intended for use by campaigns during and after the 2014 general election, drafting memoranda and legal advisories for Members of Congress and their staff, and working in support of the various legal challenges filed by NRSC and its candidates. I had the opportunity to participate in meetings with high-level staff and counsel for NRSC and the other Republican party committees, and I also traveled to battleground states to help with on-the-ground monitoring of field teams during a Senate primary, and of polls during the 2014 general election.
During the summer of 2015, I worked as a summer associate at the Washington, DC office of Clark Hill PLC, a large law firm based in Detroit, MI. I had the opportunity to contribute to a variety of practice groups, but spent the majority of my summer working with the firm's Political Law team. Clark Hill represents a variety of clients in this space, including sitting governors and Members of Congress (both House and Senate), candidates for high-level office at the state and federal levels, and prominent independent expenditure-only groups and 501(c)(4)s. I will be returning to Clark Hill after graduation. Finally, during the fall of 2015, I will be working as a law clerk for Federal Election Commissioner Caroline Hunter.
Jacob Kipp '17
Legal Intern, Virginia Department of Elections
I spent the summer working with the Virginia Department of Elections, the agency tasked with ensuring proper election administration in Virginia. At the Department of Elections, I regularly advised the Department’s policy analysts on matters of Virginia and federal election law. Most prominently, I drafted a memo about removing certain forms' affidavit requirements. The memo analyzed the legality of removing those requirements, and included legislative and regulatory proposals aimed at increasing process efficiency. I also devoted significant time to streamlining the execution of Virginia’s recount standards to provide easy-to-understand guidance for state and local election officials. I had the opportunity to attend State Board of Elections meetings and participate in meetings with the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Elections.
Laura Wright '17
Legal Intern, Kemitraan, Partnership for Governance Reform and Perludem, Association for Election and Democracy
I spent the summer of 2015 interning with two Civil Society Organizations in Jakarta, Indonesia. When I arrived in Indonesia, both organizations were wrapping up a joint project to codify the nation's election laws in to one cohesive code. At Perludem, Association for Election and Democracy, I provided research on U.S. Election Law for comparative purposes. I also had the opportunity to attend seminars led by leading election law experts on the codification process, developments in campaign finance, and meet with lead figures from the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES). At Kemitraan, Partnership for Governance Reform, I assisted the codification team as they finalized reports about the project to send to their donors. I spent the majority of my time at Kemitraan researching for future election projects related to the recent codification, such as the appropriate use of election technology in Indonesia, ways to increase civic participation, and how to make political parties more democratic. I also conducted a mini-comparative study between Indonesia's election law codification process with that of the Philippines. During this time I had the opportunity to meet with Indonesian legal and political science scholars. During the Summer of 2016, I'm in New York City working at the American Civil Liberties Union's Voting Rights Project.
Ashley Eick '16
Legal Intern, Fair Elections Legal Network
I researched state election laws affecting language minorities, looking at both laws on the book and proposed legislation. I also updated voter guides and outreach materials. For most of the summer, I worked on an ongoing case in Tennessee that is challenging the state’s voter ID law, which specifically proscribes the use of public student IDs but allows public faculty IDs issued by the same institution. Finally, I co-authored this piece in the Huffington Post to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act.
Emily Wagman '17
Intern, OneVirginia2021: Virginians for Fair Redistricting
I had the opportunity to do substantive legal research on redistricting legislation both in Virginia and other states. This research aided the group’s efforts to analyze Virginia's proposed legislation and help determine the best ways to strengthen it. I also had the opportunity to participate on Steve Heretick’s campaign for the House of Delegates. He is a candidate who supports redistricting reform, and we ultimately were able to help unseat the incumbent in the primary election.
Other Representative Places ELS Students Have Interned / Externed
The Brennan Center for Justice, New York City (Democracy Department)
Office of Virginia Senator Janet Howell
ACLU Voting Rights Project, Atlanta, Georgia
Virginia State Board of Elections
ACLU of Virginia, Patricia M. Arnold Women's Rights Project, Richmond, Virginia
International Foundation for Electoral Systems, Washington, DC
International Institute for Democracy & Electoral Assistance, Stockholm, Sweden
National Center for State Courts, Williamsburg, Virginia
Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Washington, DC
U.S. Senate Office of the Legislative Counsel, Washington, DC
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher, & Flom LLP, Washington, DC
Covington & Burling LLP, Washington, DC
Wiley Rein LLP, Washington, DC
Sandler, Reiff, Lamb, Rosenstein, & Birkenstock, P.C., Washington, DC