Senior counsel for the Brennan Center for Justice’s Democracy Program, Keesha Gaskins has spent much of her career advocating for the rights of under-served populations, especially with regard to voting rights and democratic reform. From 2007 until 2011, she was the Executive Director of the League of Women Voters – Minnesota, which succeeded in registering over 10,000 new voters during her tenure. She has long had a special interest in voter suppression issues, such as voter ID laws, proof of citizenship laws and redistricting.
Before joining the League of Women Voters, Gaskins worked as a practicing trial attorney focusing on products liability and employment law, while also volunteering her time and expertise as a special appellate public defender. In 2008, she was a Feminist Leadership Fellow at the University of Minnesota.
Gaskins writes and lectures frequently on issues related to movement-building and women’s’ political power. She has served on the Board of Governors for the Minnesota State Bar Association, the Board of Directors for the Minnesota Black Lawyers Association, and as the Executive Director of the Minnesota Women’s Political Caucus.
Gaskins studied Criminal Justice and Political Science at St. Cloud State University and earned her J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law.
