Law Forward co-founder Doug Poland joins organization full-time as director of litigation

MADISON, Wis. – Attorney and Law Forward Co-Founder Doug Poland has joined the organization full-time as Director of Litigation, bringing decades of legal experience and a record of winning tough fights to protect democracy and the constitutional rights of Wisconsinites.

“For several years now, Doug and I have worked closely to take on some of the most important fights to protect voting rights, strengthen democracy, and take on bad actors who abuse the system,” said Law Forward President & General Counsel Jeff Mandell. “Law Forward’s success wouldn’t have been possible without Doug’s support and hard work. We’re thrilled that he’s joining us in this new capacity, and I look forward to continuing to grow our organization.”

“I’ve spent decades fighting for Wisconsinites’ most precious constitutional rights and democratic values in courtrooms across the state and all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, from challenging gerrymandered maps to protecting voting rights. Now, as I focus entirely on Law Forward’s mission, I am energized by the opportunity to take on the continued threats to the fundamental rights of all Wisconsinites to participate fully in our democracy,” said Doug Poland, Law Forward Director of Litigation. “Wisconsin has too often been used as a testing ground for anti-democratic ideas, including most recently actions to try to strip our fellow citizens of their right to vote, but our state also has a proud progressive tradition of moving forward together. At Law Forward, we’re not just defending against attacks on our democratic institutions, we’re working to strengthen them for all Wisconsinites.”

In 2020, Doug Poland and Jeff Mandell co-founded Law Forward with the vision of building a non-profit, non-partisan organization to bolster our democracy and protect Wisconsinites’ fundamental rights in the face of a concerted right-wing assault. Since its founding, Law Forward has played key roles in overturning the most extreme partisan gerrymander in the nation, exposing the fraudulent-elector scheme in Wisconsin, and holding bad actors like former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman accountable.

Today, Law Forward continues to lead on key legal fights to protect democracy and representative government in Wisconsin. In 2025, the organization is challenging the state’s congressional maps as an anti-competitive gerrymander, taking on Elon Musk and his affiliated groups for alleged violations of multiple Wisconsin laws including election bribery, is continuing the fight to overturn Act 10, and is leading efforts to enable electoral reforms.

Poland joins Law Forward after, most recently, spending five years as a partner at Stafford Rosenbaum LLP in Madison where his practice focused on appellate law and complex litigation, including election and voting rights law. Before joining Stafford Rosenbaum, Poland was a partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Godfrey & Kahn S.C., and Rathje Woodward LLC.

Over the past 15 years, Poland has established himself as one of Wisconsin’s foremost election law attorneys through landmark victories in federal and state courts. He played a key role in multiple successful challenges to Wisconsin’s gerrymandered legislative maps, including serving on the legal team that took the pivotal Gill v. Whitford case to the U.S. Supreme Court. Poland also secured emergency relief for Wisconsin voters in Lewis v. Bostelmann, extending mail-in ballot deadlines during the critical 2020 spring election amid novel pandemic challenges.

Click here for a current photo of Doug Poland.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.