Efforts to get out the count for the 2020 Census are moving forward in the face of severe headwinds, from the coronavirus pandemic to confidentiality concerns to the lingering effects of the citizenship question. Getting the count right is crucial: the census will determine the distribution of political power and trillions of federal funds for the next decade. Census specialists from the Brennan Center will join us to describe the challenges facing this decade’s count and how to surmount them.

Thomas (Tom) Wolf is counsel with the Brennan Center’s Democracy Program, where he focuses on the census and redistricting.

An experienced constitutional lawyer and strategist, Wolf advises civil rights, immigrant rights, and good government groups on litigation strategy and legal policy. He also leads amicus campaigns and authors amicus briefs for lawsuits in federal and state courts throughout the country, including high-profile cases before the United States Supreme Court.

Wolf’s articles, op-eds, and commentary on the census, redistricting, and other legal issues have appeared in major media outlets nationwide and globally. He routinely speaks and lectures on law and policy at leading universities, law schools, and public policy schools.

Prior to joining the Brennan Center, Wolf was a member of the Supreme Court and appellate group at Mayer Brown LLP. He began his legal career as a clerk for Senior Judge Guido Calabresi of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Wolf received his JD from Yale Law School. He also holds advanced degrees in political thought and intellectual history from the University of Cambridge and urban development planning from the Bartlett faculty of University College London, which he attended as a Marshall Scholar. He graduated summa cum laude with an AB in history from Harvard College.

 

Brianna Cea is a research and program associate in the Democracy Program, where she focuses on the census and redistricting. Cea’s work has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Atlantic, and other outlets. Cea is also the cofounder and CEO of Generation Vote, a millennial outreach and mobilization project.

Prior to joining the Brennan Center, Cea interned with the New York Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery, the New York Governor’s Tenant Protection Unit, and the Office of Broome County Executive Jason Garnar. She also served as the Roosevelt Institute Regional Coordinator for the Lower Northeast region.

Cea graduated summa cum laude with a BA in political science and philosophy, politics and law from Binghamton University, where her honors work focused on democratic theory, political philosophy, and democratic governance. At Binghamton, Cea founded the Roosevelt Institute at Binghamton University, the Broome County Student Board of Advisors, and served as a Newman Civic Fellow.

Arranged by Gary Banks

Here are their slides:  Darien’s Men Brennan ppt_5.19.20_public