Elissa joined the firm Of Counsel in 2026, bringing her experience in impact litigation, complex federal and state matters, and technology disputes. She began her career in the field as a legal assistant in Illinois more than a decade ago. In Chicago, she worked at Lambda Legal advocating for LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV across the country. She then earned her J.D. from The George Washington University Law School where she served in multiple leadership positions, including Editor-in-Chief for a law journal, and graduated with honors. Meanwhile, Elissa gained early appellate experience successfully representing clients before the Maryland Court of Special Appeals (now the Appellate Court of Maryland) as a student attorney in the Criminal Appellate & Post-Conviction Services Clinic.
After law school, Elissa applied this experience to her practice as an attorney with the commercial litigation and appellate practice groups at an AM Law 100 firm. Her work on complex technology and patent disputes earned her a request to join partners moving to a second AM Law 100 firm.
Marrying her interests in impact litigation and complex litigation, she joined the fight against Big Tech in 2025 as a litigator and represented clients whose children had lost their lives because of social media platforms’ deliberate design decisions.
Admissions
- District of Columbia
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota
Education
- The George Washington University Law School, J.D. with Honors, 2021
- Federal Communications Law Journal – The Tech Journal, Vol. 73 Editor-in-Chief, (2020-21)
- American Constitution Society Chapter, President (2020-21) & Vice-President (2019-20)
- Lambda Law, Co-President (2019-20)
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, B.A. with Distinction in Philosophy, 2014
Recognition, Awards, and Honors
- Pro Bono Service Award, The George Washington University Law School (2021)
- President’s Volunteer Service Award (2021)
- High Honors, Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll (2021, 2022)
Publications and Presentations
- Panelist, Can’t Look Away, Community Showing & Discussion (2025)
- Co-organizer & Speaker, On the 25th Anniversary of the 1996 Telecommunications Act: What’s Next?, Federal Communications Law Journal and Berkeley Center for Law & Technology Joint Spring Symposium (2021)
- Speaker, LGBT Town Hall Series, American Mortgage Diversity Council, Chicago, IL & Miami, FL (2018)
- Panelist, Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado, Northwestern University Center for Legal Studies (2018)
- Speaker, Out at Work, Northwestern University & College of Lake County (2017)