About CAC

Preserving the rights and freedoms of all in America and protecting our judiciary

Our Vision

The Constitutional Accountability Center envisions a future in which judges, policymakers, academics, advocates, and the public understand the Constitution, in its most vital respects, to be a progressive document, and always apply the text, history, and values of the whole Constitution to resolve disputes over its meaning. We believe that recognizing the Constitution’s arc of progress, and reflecting that arc in law and policy more broadly, is key to our nation’s future. We believe that such work will help close the gaps between the law’s promise and the law’s reality in the lives of all in America.

 

Our Mission

The Constitutional Accountability Center is dedicated to fulfilling the inherently progressive promise of the Constitution’s text, history, and values. The Constitution is our national charter, amended over the generations to become more just, equitable, and inclusive. As a nonprofit law firm and think tank, we work in our courts, through our government, and with legal scholars to make real the rights and freedoms the Constitution provides for all in America, with meaningful justice and equality for all.

 

Our Commitment

At the Constitutional Accountability Center, we view the Constitution as an inherently progressive document—amended over the generations to become more just, equitable, and inclusive. To make real the promises of our national charter, we must honor and celebrate different ideas, perspectives, and backgrounds, and especially the contributions of historically marginalized communities. As an organization, we make every effort to live by these ideals and help create the conditions that will allow all individuals and communities to thrive.

 

We are committed to the recruitment, development, and retention of talented and diverse staff who believe in true justice and equality for all people. CAC is an equal opportunity employer, and we particularly encourage people who identify as Black, Indigenous, Latino/Latina or Latinx, Asian American or Pacific Islander, and from other underrepresented communities to join us.

Key Facts

Leadership

Founded by Doug Kendall in June 2008. Elizabeth Wydra becomes President January 2016.

Amicus Briefs Filed

200+ total and 100+ in the U.S. Supreme Court. "On the side of the most amicus victories" in October 2015-16 Term, per Empirical SCOTUS.

Practitioners

Former clerks for five U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal, including one former U.S. Supreme Court clerk.

Testimonial

"CAC’s ability to persuade conservative judges at a time of extreme polarization on the Court is striking." – Jeff Rosen, National Constitution Center

Our History

Constitutional Accountability Center was launched in 2008 by the late Doug Kendall to build on the work of our predecessor organization, Community Rights Counsel. CRC was a public interest law firm that promoted constitutional principles in defense of laws that make our communities environmentally sound and socially just. CAC was founded to push beyond environmental justice to promote the progressive promise of the whole Constitution’s text and history.

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Our Method

Combined, honest textualism and principled originalism—text and history—constitute CAC’s method and form the essential foundation for assessing constitutional accountability. Click to learn more about our method.

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Staff

Nargis Aslami

Douglas T. Kendall Fellow

Miriam Becker-Cohen

Appellate Counsel

Ana Builes

Appellate Counsel

Praveen Fernandes

Vice President

Brian R. Frazelle

Deputy Chief Counsel

David H. Gans

Director of the Human Rights, Civil Rights, and Citizenship Program

Margaret Hassel

Legal Fellow

Smita Ghosh

Appellate Counsel

Alexis Hoag-Fordjour

Scholar-in-Residence

Brianne J. Gorod

Chief Counsel

Nina Henry

Counsel

Caroline Langston Jarboe

Director of Development

Anna Jessurun

Equal Justice Works Fellow

Alice Lesniak

Senior Research Associate

Olurotimi Odewole

Office Manager

Lucy Resar

Paralegal and Research Associate

Keo Xiong

Chief Operating Officer

Board of Directors

Advisors

Former Staff

Doug Kendall (1964-2015)

Founder and CAC's first President