Julie Houk

Julie Houk joined the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights under Law as a Senior Special Counsel in the Voting Rights Project in May 2014 and began her current role as Managing Counsel for Election Protection in October 2018.

Since joining the Lawyers’ Committee, Julie’s focus has been on voting rights litigation and election protection work that has sought to ensure equal access to the ballot box for all voters, and in particular, for voters of color.

Julie has helped to lead litigation teams in challenges to discriminatory voter purges and voter caging; burdensome and illegal voter registration requirements; minority vote dilution; and unconstitutional gerrymanders. She has also helped to lead advocacy efforts with state partners on legislation and local government actions impacting voting rights.

Julie received a B.A. in Journalism and Political Science and an M.A. in Political Science from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She received her J.D. from the Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco, California. Julie is admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia, California, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Illinois (registered as voluntarily inactive in Illinois). Prior to joining the Lawyers’ Committee, Julie spent over 29 years litigating civil rights cases in California.

Bar Admissions: Admitted in California, the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.

Court Admissions: Admitted to the US Circuit Courts of Appeals for the Ninth and Eleventh Circuits, and the US District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Central Districts of California, Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan.