Bio
Jacob van Leer is a Staff Attorney in the ACLU Voting Rights Project. He litigates voting rights cases across the country and has been involved in litigation at all levels of federal and state courts, including the United States Supreme Court and multiple state supreme courts. Jacob also specializes in the enforcement of the National Voter Registration Act.
Before joining the ACLU, Jacob was an associate in Perkins Coie’s political litigation practice, where he combatted voting restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, defended presidential electors against post-election contests, and worked to halt mass voter eligibility challenges. He also served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Robert D. Sack on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the Honorable John D. Bates on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Jacob received his J.D. from Yale Law School, where he was Forum editor of the Yale Law Journal and was awarded the C. LaRue Munson Prize for excellence in his clinical work. He received his bachelor’s degree from Yale College.
Jacob is based in Washington, D.C.