Seminars

We offer one-time, off-the-record seminars on political practice. Each seminar is capped at 15 to 20 students and lasts for two hours. Students who attend are undergraduates and graduates, liberals and conservatives, political junkies and political newcomers. No experience is required.

Emmy Ruiz

Former campaign aide to VP Kamala D. Harris, Secretary Hillary Clinton, President Barack Obama. Co-founder and former partner at NEWCO Strategies, a majority-minority political firm.

Leandra English

Serves as an advisor to the Superintendent of the New York State Department of Financial Services. Formerly was the Deputy Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Matt Kaminski

Current Editor-in-Chief of POLITICO. Previously a foreign correspondent, opinion writer, and editor at The Wall Street Journal.

Zayn Siddique

Principal Deputy Director of the Domestic Policy Council. Former Senior Advisor to Bruce Reed, the White House Deputy Chief of Staff under President Joe Biden

Lawrence O’Donnell

Host of The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell. Writer and Executive Producer for West Wing and Deadly Force.

Rachel Maddow

Host of The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC. First Openly Lesbian Anchor to Host a Major Prime-Time News Program in the US

Emily Cain

Executive Director of Emily’s List. Former State Senator for Maine’s 30th District.

Debbie Mucarsel- Powell

Former Representative for Florida’s 26th District. First South American-born immigrant to serve as a Member of Congress.

Derrick Johnson

President and CEO of the NAACP. Led the Charge in Calling for a Cabinet-level Position Focused on Racial Justice.

Mariannette Miller-Meeks

Representative for Iowa’s 2nd district. Physician and Former Army Lt. Colonel.

Jamaal Bowman

Representative from New York’s 16th District. Progressive Democrat who is part of the “Squad.”

Minyon Moore

Former Director of White House Political Affairs under President Bill Clinton. Named one of the 100 Most Powerful Women in Washington.

Eugene Meyer

President and CEO of Federalist Society.

Evan McMullin

Independent Candidate in 2016 Presidential Election. Co-founder of Stand Up Republic.

Maya Rupert

Julián Castro’s 2020 Campaign Manager. Former Senior Policy Director at the Center for Reproductive Rights.

John Anzalone

Chief Pollster and Senior Advisor to Biden. Founder of ALG Research.

Marc Thiessen

George W Bush’s speechwriter. Resident Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI).

Marshall Ganz

Developed Obama organizing model. Harvard Professor. Organized for the SNCC and with Cesar Chavez.

Dolores Huerta

Co-founder of United Farmworkers Association with Cesar Chavez. Labor leader and civil rights activist.

Joe Crowley

Former Representative for New York’s 14th district. Former Chair of the House Democratic Caucus.

Alyssa Mastromonaco

White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Barack Obama. New York Times Bestselling Author.

David Litt

Speechwriter for Barack Obama. Lead writer on four White House Correspondents Dinners.

Jeremy Bird

National Field Director for Obama 2012. Fortune Magazine’s 40 under 40. Founder of 270 Strategies.

Secky Fascione

Organizing Director for Mothers Out Front. Decades of Organizing Experience including NEA and SEIU.

Richard Shelby

Former Senator from Alabama. Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Served in the Senate since 1987.

Leah Hunt-Hendrix

Activist, political theorist, and movement builder. Co-Founder of Way to Win and Emergent Fund.

James Carville

Bill Clinton’s chief strategist. Political Commentator and Media Personality. Hosted CNN’s Crossfire.

Bob Bauer

White House Counsel under Barack Obama. General Counsel to the DNC and Obama for America.

Jamie Raskin

Representative for Maryland’s 8th district. Constitutional Law Professor. Harvard Law Review editor.

Richard Trumka

President of the AFL-CIO. Helps workers can determine their wages and working conditions.

Mikie Sherrill

Representative for New Jersey’s 11th district. Former prosecutor and US Navy helicopter pilot.

Chrissy Houlahan

Representative for Pennsylvania’s 6th district. Former Start-up COO and US Air Force Officer

Jeff Flake

US Ambassador to Turkey. Former Representative for Arizona’s 6th Congressional District.

Deval Patrick

Former Governor of Massachusetts. Assistant Attorney General under Bill Clinton.

Joe Donnelly

US Ambassador to the Holy See. Former Representative for Indiana’s 2nd Congressional District.

Grover Norquist

GOP activist and creator of the “Taxpayer Protection Pledge.” Americans for Tax Reform president.

Charlie Fern

Speechwriter for Laura Bush and George W. Bush. Wrote First Radio Address Delivered by a First Lady.

Lacy Clay

Former Representative for Missouri’s 1st district. Former Representative in the Missouri Senate.

Amanda Litman

Founder of Run for Something, a PAC that Recruits and Supports Progressives Running for Office.

Trey Gowdy

Former Representative for South Carolina’s 4th district. Former House Benghazi Committee Chair.

Mark McKinnon

George W. Bush’s and John McCain’s Chief Media Advisor. Co-host of SHOWTIME’s The Circus.

Ben Cardin

Senator from Maryland. Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Sean Patrick Maloney

US Ambassador to the OECD. Former Representative for New York’s 18th District . First Openly Gay Person to Represent New York.

Chellie Pingree

Representative for Maine’s 1st district. Former President and CEO of Common Cause.

Marjorie Dannenfelser

“Trump’s pro-life whisperer” and President of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America. POLITICO’s Top 50 Influencers.

DeRay Mckesson

Black Lives Matter Activist. Fortune Magazine’s 50 World’s Greatest Leaders in 2015.

David Simas

CEO of the Obama Foundation. Director of Political Strategy and Outreach for Barack Obama.

Brett O’Donnell

Lead Debate repper for Mitt Romney and George Bush. Media Strategist for Members of Congress.

Jim Margolis

Senior adviser to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Co-produced Three Democratic Conventions.

Cecile Richards

Former President of Planned Parenthood. TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2012.

Bob Shrum

Senior Advisor to Al Gore and John Kerry presidential campaigns. Director of the Center for the Political Future at USC.

Markos Moulitsas

Founder of Daily Kos. Co-founder of Vox Media

Neera Tanden

Director of the Domestic Policy Council. Policy Director for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

Jeff Roe

Ted Cruz’s Chief Strategist. Helped Elect 52 Congressmen, 8 Senators, and 6 Governors Nationwide.

Tony Podesta

Washington Superlobbyist. “King of K Street.” “The Lobbyist.” “One of Washington’s biggest players.”

Frank Luntz

Top Republican strategist. Coined “climate change,” “death tax” and “government takeover” of healthcare.

Joel Benenson

Hillary Clinton’s chief strategist and Barack Obama’s lead pollster. Helped Win Three Presidential Campaigns.

Jahana Hayes

Representative for Connecticut’s 5th district. Former National Teacher of the Year.

Jeff Berman

Barack Obama’s delegate selection director. Hillary Clinton’s delegate strategist.

Patti Solis Doyle

Hillary Clinton’s 2008 Campaign Manager. Nationally Recognized Political Organizer and Strategist.

Mindy Finn

Co-Founder of Stand Up Republic. 2016 Vice Presidential Candidate.

Mike Schmuhl

Pete Buttigieg’s 2020 Campaign Manager. Director at Heartland Ventures. Chair of the Indiana Democratic Party.

David Frum

Speechwriter for George W. Bush. Created the phrase “axis of evil.” Senior editor at The Atlantic. MSNBC Contributor.

Mary Kay Henry

International President of Service Employees International Union (SEIU). Instrumental in Fight for $15 Movement

Howard Dean

Former Governor of Vermont. 2004 Presidential Candidate.

Juan Rodriguez

Kamala Harris’s 2020 Campaign Manager. Partner at SCRB Strategies.

Reed Galen

Co-Founder of The Lincoln Project. Deputy Campaign Manager for John McCain.

Mo Cowan

Former Senator from Massachusetts. Current President of Global Government Affairs and Policy for GE.

Ravi Gupta

Founder of Arena. Former Speechwriter for Susan Rice.

Meg Ansara

Battleground States Director for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 Campaign. CEO and Founding Partner at 270 Strategies.

Corry Bliss

The Republican Party’s “top campaign mind.” Executive Director of the American Action Network and Congressional Leadership Fund.

Alphonso David

President and CEO of the Global Black Economic Forum. Former President of the Human Rights Campaign. First Person of Color to Lead the Largest LGBTQ Advocacy Group in the US.

Faiz Shakir

Bernie Sanders’ 2020 Campaign Manager. Former ACLU Political Director.

Ben Krauss

Former speechwriter for Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden and Beto O’Rourke. Managing Partner at Fenway Strategies.

Eric Schultz

Former Deputy White House Press Secretary during the Obama Administration. Founder of Schultz Group.

Matt Rhoades

Mitt Romney’s 2012 Campaign Manager. Political Messaging Pioneer.

Jason Kander

Former Secretary of State of Missouri. Fortune Magazine’s 40 under 40. Founder of Let America Vote.

Adi Sathi

Chief of Staff at the Young Republican National Federation. Former RNC National Director of Asian Pacific American Engagement.

Robb Ryerse

Executive Director of Brand New Congress. Former Republican Congressional Candidate.

Maurice Mitchell

National Director of the Working Families Party. Community Organizer for racial, Social, and Economic Justice.

Justin Buoen

Amy Klobuchar’s 2020 Campaign Manager. Advisor to Senator Klobuchar.

Joe Trippi

Democratic political strategist. Doug Jones’ 2017 Campaign Manager.

Matthew Yglesias

Co-founder of Vox Media. Political Blogger.

Matthew Sheffield

Co-Founder of NewsBusters. Current Conservative Media Critic.

Sunil Mehta

Founder of They See Blue. Organizer for South Asian Democrats

Desmond Meade

President and Executive Director of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC). Voting Rights Activist.

Chris Jankowski

Former Executive Director of Project REDMAP. Current Republican Strategist.

Josh Schwerin

Former Communications Director for Priorities USA. Former Spokesman for Hillary Clinton.

Aimee Allison

Founder of She the People. President of Democracy in Color.

Amy McGrath

Democratic Senate candidate in Kentucky. Former Marine Fighter Pilot.

Mindy Myers

Top Democratic Strategist. Former Executive Director of the DSCC and Chief of Staff to Elizabeth Warren.

Stephanie Schriock

Former President of EMILY’S List. Democratic Power Player.

Bakari Sellers

Former State Representative of South Carolina’s 90th district. CNN Political Analyst

David Shor

Data Analyst at Blue Rose Research. Senior Fellow with the Center for American Progress Action Fund.

Danny Diaz

Jeb Bush’s campaign manager. Founding and managing partner at FP1 strategies.