Michelle Richardson

Michelle Richardson is the Deputy Director of the Center for Democracy and Technology’s Freedom, Security, and Technology Project, where she works to ensure that government programs do not infringe on privacy and civil liberties. She is a recognized expert on how post-9/11 security policies can impact constitutional and human rights, and has successfully campaigned to reform the Patriot Act, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and government cybersecurity policies, among others.
Michelle has testified before Congress, advised numerous government agencies, and frequently appears in national press such as The Washington Post, The New York Times, NPR, The Los Angeles Times, Wired, and Politico. Recognized by The Hill as one of the most influential nonprofits lobbyists in Washington, she has led left-right coalitions to defend privacy in the face of ever-expanding government authorities.
Before joining CDT in 2017, Michelle led the American Civil Liberties Union’s preeminent legislative campaigns against overreaching surveillance programs for 10 years. She also served as a democratic counsel for the House Judiciary Committee where she worked on a range of anti-terrorism laws and policies including the Patriot Act, Intelligence Reform, warrantless wiretapping, detainee abuse, government secrecy, and terror prosecutions. She received her B.A. from the University of Colorado and her J.D. from American University, Washington College of Law.