Jerry H. Goldfeder

Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 212-806-5857; 917-680-3132
Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP
180 Maiden Lane
New York, NY 10038

Jerry H. Goldfeder is Special Counsel at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP, specializing in election and campaign finance law, public integrity investigations, and regulatory compliance. Prior to joining Stroock, he served as Special Counsel to former New York State Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo. He practices law in Manhattan and has represented elected officials and candidates for public office for over thirty-five years—from local office to President of the United States.

Professor Goldfeder is the author of the highly acclaimed treatise Goldfeder's Modern Election Law, now in its Fifth Edition. He writes the Government and Election Law column for the New York Law Journal and has written and lectured extensively on election law reform, the presidential election process, and a variety of other governmental issues. Articles featuring him and his work have appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and other media. During the 2016 presidential election, he served as a consultant to CNN’s mini-series, the Race for the White House.

He recently served as Chair of the New York State Bar Association’s Task Force on the Presidential Election and has served as Chair of the New York City Bar Association’s Committee on New York City Affairs and its Committee on Election Law.

Prior to his admission to the bar, Prof. Goldfeder studied and taught political science at UCLA and Brooklyn College. He was in the first class of the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law of Yeshiva University, where he served on the Law Review.

Prof. Goldfeder is a two-time recipient of Fordham’s Adjunct Teacher of the Year (2019 and 2015), and has been honored for his professional and community service by the Brooklyn Legal Services Corp. and the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty; he was recently presented with the Corporate Social Responsibility Award in Labor & Law by City & State. He was recently named a Lifetime Achievement awardee by the New York Law Journal and received the Burton Award for excellence in legal writing.

He is a member of the Board of Advisors of Let America Vote, a member of the Board of the Bella Abzug Leadership Institute, and a trustee of the Museum of the City of New York.

Publications

"The ranked-choice difference: What New Yorkers should look for when they vote in this month’s primary," New York Daily News, June 2, 2021
"Corporations Must Do More to Support Voting Rights," New York Daily News, May 14, 2021
"New York Still Needs More Reform," New York Law Journal, April 23, 2021
“Protecting the Right To Vote," New York Law Journal, February 26, 2021
“Party switchers welcome; invaders not," New York Daily News, February 8, 2021
“What Pence Should Do," The New York Times, January 6, 2021
“Trump can be the Greatest Loser,” New York Daily News, November 26, 2020
“‘Nightmare Presidential Scenarios’ Averted; Election Reforms Still Needed,” New York State Bar Association, November 20, 2020
“2020 Election Sidebar: No Winner in a State? What Then?” New York Law Journal, October 26, 2020
“Op-Ed: Please don’t tell Kamala I’m with her. I wouldn’t want to jinx the race,” Los Angeles Times, October 22, 2020
"Demand Respect for Results," Albany Times Union, October 5, 2020
"Protecting the Right to Vote: The Assault on the Franchise Continues," New York Law Journal, September 1, 2020
"Trump’s Tweets Are Hollow, but Frank Underwood-Style Voter Suppression Is a Real Election Day Threat," Queens Daily Eagle, August 11, 2020
"Before John Lewis, Was the Bold Life and Unjust Death of Maceo Snipes," USA Today, July 31, 2020
Quoted in "The President’s Trumped-Up Claims of Voter Fraud," FactCheck.org, July 31, 2020
"Still No Plan for a Smooth Election," New York Law Journal, July 1, 2020
"Send Every N.Y. Voter a Ballot," New York Daily News, June 29, 2020
"New York Elections During the Pandemic," New York Law Journal, June 17, 2020
"Binding Electoral Votes: A Bad Idea for New York," New York Law Journal, June 17, 2020
“2020 Election Sidebar: No Voters Need Apply?,” New York Law Journal, May 26, 2020
“2020 Election Sidebar: Can the Election Be Postponed?,” New York Law Journal, April 28, 2020
“Tornadoes, Coronavirus and the 2020 Elections,” New York Law Journal, March 10, 2020
“Impeachment Sidebar: The Senate Trial," New York Law Journal, January 24, 2020
"Partisan Gerrymandering — A Continuing Threat," New York Law Journal, December 27, 2019
"Impeachment Sidebar: High Crimes and Misdemeanors," New York Law Journal, December 20, 2019
"Impeachment Sidebar: Bribery," New York Law Journal, December 3, 2019
“Impeachment Sidebar: Historical Context,” New York Law Journal, November 12, 2019
"Reform Our Elections and Save the Republic," New York Law Journal, October 31, 2019
"Summer 2019 Election Law Round-Up," New York Law Journal, August 28, 2019
"New York's Arcane Election Laws Continue to Suppress Voters," Times Union, August 27, 2019
“Albany's Still-To-Do Election Reforms,” New York Law Journal, May 9, 2019
“A Donald Trump Coup If He Loses in 2020? With All the Norms He's Busted, Don't Rule It Out,” USA Today, March 14, 2019
“If We Get Beyond the Horse Trading, Fusion Voting Has a Role,” Albany Times Union, March 8, 2019
“New York Election Reform Needs Improvement," New York Law Journal, February 13, 2019
“Albany’s Progress on Voting: Two Cheers for Now,” The New York Times, January 24, 2019
“National Popular Vote, With All Its Flaws, Is Worth Serious Look,” New York Law Journal, January 7, 2019
“How New York Suppresses the Vote,” New York Law Journal, December 26, 2018
“A Call to The Bar: Fight for The National Popular Vote Initiative,” New York Law Journal, December 12, 2018
“What if Trump loses but refuses to leave the White House?” New York Daily News, December 3, 2018
“Attorneys Should Turn Attention to State Legislative Races,” New York Law Journal, November 8, 2018
“Defy the violence, go vote,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle, November 1, 2018
“The Bar Should Support Voting Reforms,” New York Law Journal, October 26, 2018
“An Agenda for New York City’s Public Advocate,” The New York Times, September 30, 2018
“New York Fusion Laws and the Joe Crowley Imbroglio,” New York Law Journal, August 13, 2018
“Easing Voter Registration,” New York Law Journal, May 16, 2018
“Voters, not lawmakers, should pick interim officeholders,” Albany Times Union, May 14, 2018
“New York City should expand voting rights as part of charter revision,” City & State, May 14, 2018
“Shouldn’t It Be Up to the Voters?” New York Law Journal, March 15, 2018
“2018: A Big Year for Voting Rights Restoration?” New York Law Journal, December 29, 2017
“Don’t Let Candidates Know Their Donors,” New York Times, November 21, 2017
"Ban Candidates From Soliciting Campaign Dough," New York Law Journal, November 15, 2017
"Con-con wasn't the last chance for reform," Albany Times Union, November 9, 2017
"Take the Long View and Remain Optimistic," New York Law Journal, October 31, 2017
“Fixing Government from the Ground Up: Say No to a Constitutional Convention and Focus on Local Reform,” New York Daily News, October 20, 2017
“New York Inches Its Way Toward Easier Ballot Access,” New York Law Journal, October 10, 2017
“A Tale of (at Least) Two Gerrymanders,” New York Law Journal, June 23, 2017
“City Bar’s Support of Constitutional Convention Is Flawed,” New York Law Journal, June 14, 2017
“Remove the President? Read this First!” New York Law Journal, May 18,2017
“President Trump and the 25th Amendment,” New York Journal, May 1, 2017
“Real Solutions for Real Problems,” New York Law Journal, February 23, 2017
“Election Law and the Presidency: An Introduction and Overview,” Fordham Law Review, December 2016
“Cross Your Fingers For an Uneventful Election Day,” City & State, November 4, 2016
“Write-in for President?” Law.com, November 1, 2016
“Court Victories Don’t Mean Voters Are in the Clear,” New York Law Journal, October 6, 2016
“Re-Enfranchising People With Prior Convictions,” New York Law Journal, June 22, 2016
“Electing The President: Rules And Laws,” New York Law Journal, April 18, 2016
“Scrapping the Iowa-New Hampshire Obsession,” Texas Lawyer, February 8, 2016
“Voting Reform Prominent in Two Executive Addresses,” New York Law Journal, February 5, 2016
“Time To Scrap The Iowa-New Hampshire Obsession,” Law.com, January 29, 2016
“Year-End Roundup: Significant State and Federal Developments,” New York Law Journal, December 17, 2015
“Beware the Poo-Bahs?” City & State, December 18, 2015
“Making Sense of the Bronx ‘Switcheroo,’” New York Law Journal, October 7, 2015
“Imagine If Presidential Elections Were Like a TV Comedy; An absurd-but possible-outcome when the electoral college vote is tied,” The National Law Journal, August 10, 2015
“State Legislatures Adjourning, But Voting Rights Still Center Stage,” New York Law Journal, August 5, 2015
“Donald Trump? How About President Selina?” Law.com, July 14, 2015
“Alabama and Albany Minority Voters Get Wins,” New York Law Journal, April 10, 2015

Professional Affiliations

Chair, Association of the Bar of the City of New York Special Committee on Election Law

Speeches and Events

Speaker, “A Conversation with Congressman Jamie Raskin on Litigating Impeachment,” Fordham University, April 12, 2021
Moderator, “Litigating An Impeachment Trial Of A U.S. President,” NYS Bar Association, April 8, 2021
Speaker, “Ranked Choice Voting: How it Works and What it Means,” Hunter College, March 1, 2021
Speaker, “Toward Our 60th Presidential Election,” Fordham Law Review, February 26, 2021
Speaker, “Making Sense of Ranked-Choice Voting: Everything You Will Need to Know to Cast Your Ballot in NYC,” The New York Board of Rabbis, February 24, 2021
Speaker, “Election Law Reform After the 2020 Election,” Federalist Society of Philadelphia, December 16, 2020.
Speaker, “Reforming the Electoral College,” New York Democratic Lawyers Council, December 9, 2020
Speaker, “Beyond the Election: What We Can Expect,” Bergstein Flynn Knowlton Webinar Series, November 2, 2020
Speaker, “Election Security,” October 27, 2020
Speaker, “Critical Voices: Election 2020,” October 22, 2020
Speaker, “Voting & The 2020 Presidential Race,” Stroock Event,October 8, 2020
Speaker, “2020 Electoral Activism Training Academy,” Columbia School of Social Work, September 26, 2020
Speaker, West Side Democrats, "Changes to the Electoral College," May 27, 2020
Speaker, Staten Island Democratic Association, "Challenges to Voting This Year," May 18, 2020.
Speaker, Markers for Democracy, "Is the November Election in Jeopardy?" May 14, 2020.
Panelist, Albany Law School, "2020 Anderson Series: Voting in the 2020 Election," April 20, 2020
Presenter, "Preparing for the 2020 Election," Federal Bar Council, February 10, 2020
Lecturer, "Election Law Judicial Proceedings," New York Judicial Institute, January 23, 2020
Speaker, "Pathways to Politics, Columbia University," January 11, 2020
“Running for Office — Access to the Ballot,” Latino Leadership Institute, October 19, 2019
“The New York City Campaign Finance Law” and “The New York State Law on Campaign Finance,” New York Campaign Finance Law: Promises and Reality CLE 2019, New York Law School, New York, NY, April 11, 2019
Speaker, “Mandating Presidential Candidates to Disclose Tax Returns,” American Civil Liberties Union, New York, NY, April 8, 2019
“Election Reform in New York State,” Stephen Wise Free Synagogue, February 28, 2019
“Election Reform in NYC,” New Visions Democrats, January 8, 2019
“Post-Kavanaugh Politics and 2020,” Southampton Democrats, October 20, 2018
“Partisan Gerrymandering,” Fordham Law School, October 17, 2018
“Getting and Staying on the Ballot,” Latino Leadership Institute, October 13, 2018
Presenter, “Election Law and Election Law Procedures CLE,” Appellate Division, Second Judicial Department, July 25, 2018
“The NYC Charter Revision Commission,” Brooklyn Voters Alliance General Meeting, June 12, 2018
"Raising the Bar: Ethical Problems and Possible Solutions in District Attorney Campaign Fundraising," Center for the Advancement of Public Integrity, April 6, 2018
“Representing a Candidate Under New York’s Election Law,” New York Bar Association, February 9, 2018
“How to Run for Office in New York State,” Young Women’s Political Leadership Conference, New York University, January 27, 2018
“How to Get on the Ballot,” Latino Leadership Institute, October 14, 2017
“Should We Have a Constitutional Convention?” Women’s City Club of New York, October 5, 2017
“The New York Constitutional Convention,” Southampton Democratic Club, May 13, 2017; Women’s City Club of New York, May 9, 2017
“How to Run for Office in New York State,” National Women’s Political Caucus, February 25, 2017
“Predictions and Expectations for the Administration of Donald Trump,” Fordham Law School, January 19, 2017
“Analyzing the 2016 Election,” The Latino Leadership Institute Forum, December 20, 2016
After 2016, Do Our Election Laws Still Work?” Harvard Law School, November 11, 2016
“How the Electoral College System Distorts Presidential Elections,” University of Pennsylvania Law School, November 3, 2016
“The Voting Rights Act: Election Law in a Changing Landscape,” Federal Bar Council, October 5, 2016
“The Appearance of Corruption: Following the Money Trail in Federal Elections,” University of Pennsylvania Law School, April 21, 2016
“Home Rule in an Era of Municipal Innovation: Reviving the Right to Self-Government,” Fordham Law School, April 7, 2016
“The Electoral College and the Nominating Process,” Southampton Democratic Club, April 3, 2016
“Getting on the Ballot in NYC,” New York City Bar Association, February 1, 2016
“Money, Politics and Corruption,” New York University, October 21, 2015
“Running for Office and Ballot Access,” Latino Leadership Institute, October 3, 2015
“Judicial Elections After Citizens United,” Cardozo Law School, April 20, 2015
“Voting Reforms and Restrictions; Campaign Finance and the US Supreme Court,” Medgar Evers College, April 17, 2015
“Charter Revision in New York City,” Bay Ridge Democratic Club, April 9, 2015
“Enacting Democracy in New York City,” Four Freedoms Democratic Club, March 31, 2015
Panelist, “Voting in 2020,” Albany Law School April 20, 2020

Education

BA, Brooklyn College, CUNY (1968); MA, Political Science, UCLA (1972);

ABD, Political Science, UCLA (1974); JD, Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University (1979).