Profile

Carol is a trailblazer in the political law arena, possessing both public-sector and private-sector experience gives her a unique perspective when representing her clients. She advises corporations, trade associations, political groups and committees, candidates, PACs, media corporations, and individuals on federal and state campaign finance and election laws, government ethics, and lobbying laws. She is also an experienced litigator who regularly handles complex issues of political, constitutional, and administrative law.

Named in Chambers USA as one of the nation's leading practitioners in her field (Band 1), Carol is praised by clients saying that she "knows everything there is to know about political law" and is a "multidimensional thinker and practical adviser. She is always analytical and consistently demonstrates exceptional judgment." (2022). Carol has been a guest commentator on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, CBC, and National Public Radio. She was regularly consulted for her expertise during the 2000 Bush-Gore recount and was a 2020 U.S. election coverage legal advisor for Sky News.

Experience

Representative Matters

  • Litigates before the Supreme Court of the United States, numerous federal circuit and district courts, and state courts with respect to issues of election law, constitutional law, and administrative law. Supreme Court cases include FEC v. Colorado Republican Federal Campaign Committee (II); Colorado Republican Federal Campaign Committee v. FEC (I); and FEC v. Massachusetts Citizens for Life.
  • Represents clients in enforcement actions, audits, and in obtaining Advisory Opinions from the Federal Election Commission (FEC), as well as numerous state election law, ethics, and lobbying commissions.
  • Successfully obtained an FEC Advisory Opinion that created Super PACs.
  • Represents one of the most prominent Super PACs on all aspects of their operation.
  • Represented a major trade association in state campaign finance litigation.
  • Represents clients before the House and Senate Ethics Committees, the Office of Congressional Ethics, the U.S. Department of Justice, and state agencies.
  • Counsels clients on compliance with specific laws such as the Ethics in Government Act, House and Senate Ethics, state ethics laws, the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 and its state counterparts, and the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
  • Counsels corporations with respect to federal and state pay-to-play statutes, regulations, and ordinances and with respect to procurement lobbying laws.
  • Engages in extensive corporate and trade association training on campaign finance, ethics, and lobbying laws.

Professional Experience

  • Legal Advisor, 2020 U.S. Election Coverage, Sky News
  • Staff Attorney, Federal Election Commission, Appellate Litigation Team, Office of General Counsel (1984-1987)

Affiliations

  • American Bar Association (ABA)
    • Standing Committee on Election Law (1998-2001), Advisory Commission (2001-2013)
    • Co-Chair and Vice Chair, Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice, Committee on Election Law (1997-2000), Committee on International and Comparative Administrative Law (1994-1997)
  • Secretary (2005-2006) and Steering Committee Member (2003-2006), The Council on Government Ethics Laws (COGEL)
  • Public Affairs Council (PAC)
  • State Government Affairs Council (SGAC)
  • Women in Government Relations (WGR) 

Recognitions

  • Named one of "Washington's Best Lawyers" (2011, 2013) and one of "Washington's Top Lawyers" (2007, 2009, 2015, 2017, 2018) by Washingtonian magazine; named to Washingtonian’s “Top Lawyers Hall of Fame” (2022)
  • Listed by Chambers USA as one of "America's Leading Lawyers for Business" in Political Law (2011, 2015-2024)
  • Named by Lawdragon as one of "3000 Leading Lawyers in America" (2010-2011)
  • Named one of DC's "Super Lawyers" for Political Law (2013) and Legislative & Governmental Affairs (2014-2020) by Super Lawyers magazine

Credentials

Education

J.D., New York University School of Law

B.A., Wellesley College; Durant Scholar; Phi Beta Kappa

Bar and Court Memberships

  • District of Columbia Bar
  • Massachusetts Bar
  • Supreme Court of the United States
  • U.S. Courts of Appeals for the First, Second, Fourth, Ninth, Tenth, and District of Columbia Circuits
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

Wiley Rein LLP Cookie Preference Center

Your Privacy

When you visit our website, we use cookies on your browser to collect information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences, or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to and to provide a more personalized web experience. For more information about how we use Cookies, please see our Privacy Policy.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Always Active

Necessary cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. These cookies may only be disabled by changing your browser settings, but this may affect how the website functions.

Functional Cookies

Always Active

Some functions of the site require remembering user choices, for example your cookie preference, or keyword search highlighting. These do not store any personal information.

Form Submissions

Always Active

When submitting your data, for example on a contact form or event registration, a cookie might be used to monitor the state of your submission across pages.

Performance Cookies

Performance cookies help us improve our website by collecting and reporting information on its usage. We access and process information from these cookies at an aggregate level.

Powered by Firmseek