Five Questions About What's Going on at DOJ with Former Civil Rights Division Lawyer Katie Chamblee-Ryan

Like so many of the lawyers in DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, Katie Chamblee-Ryan left the Justice Department in 2025 after Trump’s intentions became plain. Katie joined the Elias Law Group, where some of the best election protection work is being done.

Katie is an experienced civil rights litigator. In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, she served as lead attorney in the negotiations for United States v. Minneapolis, the pattern or practice case against the Minneapolis Police Department. Earlier in her career, Katie was a death penalty litigator at the Southern Center for Human Rights, where she was part of the team that won Foster v. Chatman in the U.S. Supreme Court, a decision that addressed race discrimination in jury selection.

So when Katie volunteered to share her thoughts with us tonight, I knew it was an important opportunity. And, she also has an Alabama tie. After graduating from Yale Law School, Katie clerked for Judge Myron H. Thompson, a legendary civil rights judge in the Middle District of Alabama. She was working for Judge Thompson when he decided Henderson v. Thomas, where he ruled that the Alabama Department of Corrections violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by segregating inmates who had HIV, keeping them in separate dorms and forcing them to wear white armbands to designate they were HIV-positive. She has been a civil right lawyer from the start.

As we celebrate the nation’s 249th birthday today, Katie’s insight and candor give us a unique window into what’s happening at the Department of Justice. Being well informed lets us be the best possible advocates for democracy in a moment where our country needs us. I’m delighted she was able to join us tonight!

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