Laura W. Brill

Complex Litigation & Appeals

San Francisco

Laura Brill is an accomplished attorney with a rich career spanning 30 years in litigation and appeals.

Brill's interest in election law and public entity representation was sparked during her influential clerkship with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court. She regards Ginsburg as one of her greatest mentors, whose guidance has had a lasting impact on her career and life. Brill's dedication to her field and her ability to draw inspiration from personal history and mentorship have shaped her into the respected attorney she is today.

Outside of the courtroom, Brill founded the Civics Center in 2018, a nonprofit with the goal to bring voter registration to every high school in America.

"A common misperception is that young people turn out to vote at low rates, even if they are registered," Brill said. "But in 2020, 86% of registered youth (ages 18-24) turned out to vote. In every presidential election going back to 2004, more than 75% of registered youth turned out."

In her day to day, Brill led the team that secured an outright victory in a high-profile case involving Measure J, Los Angeles County's landmark charter reform measure to promote community investment and alternatives to incarceration.

With the murder of George Floyd igniting a national reckoning on policing in 2020, Brill's firm represented L.A. County and the County Registrar-Recorder against challenges to the validity of Measure J under the state constitution. Brill's firm first defeated a writ initiated by law enforcement unions, seeking to prevent Measure J from appearing on the ballot. After Measure J received resounding popular support at the ballot box, KBK won a unanimous appellate victory upholding the measure.

The measure aimed to reallocate 10% of locally generated, unrestricted revenues towards community investments such as youth development, job training, small business development, supportive housing services, mental health programs, jail diversion and social services.

However, law enforcement unions later won in trial court, contending that Measure J unconstitutionally restricted the Board of Supervisors' discretion under the state constitution.

The unions won in state court.

"The matter went to appeal, and we secured an outright victory in the 2nd District Court of Appeal in July 2023, reversing the trial court and upholding the validity of Measure J," Brill said. "As a result, community groups have greater access to participation in the budget process and an estimated $300 million annually may be set aside for community investment projects as a result."

Brill's work with the The Civics Center's work has sparked hundreds of high school voter registration drives in 36 states across the country and has created innovative data solutions to measure registration and turnout rates for 18-year-olds.