The Future of the Voting Rights Act
William & Mary Student Chapter
613 S. Henry St.
Williamsburg, VA 23185
Additional Speakers: Jessica Amunson Davin Rosborough
Additional Speakers: Jessica Amunson Davin Rosborough
Of Counsel, BakerHostetler
Mark Braden concentrates his work principally on the law of the political process, including work with election and campaign agencies, voting issues, redistricting, and ethics and lobbying regulations – areas in which he has substantial knowledge and unusual experience.
He provides effective, and often highly innovative, legal guidance when representing individuals and organizations in the political arena and counseling some of the largest political action committees (PACs) and campaigns in the nation. Mark spent 10 years as chief counsel to the Republican National Committee prior to joining BakerHostetler. He is widely recognized for his knowledge of state election laws, having served as chief counsel to the Ohio Elections Commission and election counsel to the Ohio Secretary of State. Mark has played a significant role in the redistricting process nationwide. And in campaign finance, he was the father of “soft money” as originally used in national campaigns.
Mark is a former member of the adjunct faculty of George Washington University and Catholic University, and former special election law counsel to the United States House of Representatives’ Administration Committee. He has testified before congressional committees and the Federal Election Commission, and his experience in the legal and political arenas has resulted in invitations to lecture at universities and institutes nationwide. He has authored International Election Principles: Election, Chapter: “Early and Absentee Voting” (ABA Publishing, 2009) and Election Reform in the United States after Bush v. Gore, eds. Grofman & Alvarez, Chapter: “Entering the Political Thicket” (Cambridge University Press, 2013)
Partner, Holtzman Vogel Baran Torchinsky & Josefiak PLLC
Jason Torchinsky is a partner at Holtzman Vogel Josefiak PLLC, specializing in campaign finance, election law, lobbying disclosure and issue advocacy groups. Politico recently named him one of the “50 Politicos to Watch,” and in 2007, Campaigns and Elections Magazine named him a “Rising Star of Politics.”
In addition to his practice counseling clients on compliance with campaign finance, ethics laws, lobbying disclosure and election laws, Mr. Torchinsky has served as lead counsel in a number of litigation matters. Representative matters in the redistricting area include Louisiana House of Representatives v. Holder (D.D.C.) (Section 5 pre-clearance action), City of Sandy Springs v. Holder (D.D.C.) (Section 5 bailout action), and Fletcher v. Lamone (D. Md.) (challenging Maryland’s Congressional Districting map). In the campaign finance context, he is currently representing clients in Alliance for America’s Future v. State (Nevada Supreme Court) and Van Hollen v. Federal Election Commission (D.D.C.) (Representing intervenor defendants). He has also represented Virginia candidates in recounts and voter registration challenges before various Virginia Circuit Courts.
Mr. Torchinsky frequently lectures on campaign finance redistricting and ethics related subjects and provides commentary to the media on election related matters.
Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Torchinsky was Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division at the United States Department of Justice. During the 2004 election cycle, he served as Deputy General Counsel to Bush-Cheney ’04 and Deputy General Counsel to the 2005 Presidential Inaugural Committee.
He holds a B.A. in Government and Public Policy from the College of William and Mary and a J.D. from the College of William and Mary School of Law. He is a member of the Virginia Bar, the District of Columbia Bar, the Republican National Lawyers Association and the Federalist Society.