Ellen spent more than a decade in federal service, holding attorney positions with the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, Department of Veterans Affairs, and Social Security Administration, in both domestic and overseas environments.  Her work included advising senior leadership on procurement and fiscal law matters, negotiating research and development contracts involving classified and emerging technologies, and serving as an ethics advisor overseeing compliance and financial disclosure programs.  

 

While serving in Japan, she deployed with the Marine Corps on multiple joint military exercises throughout Southeast Asia, where she served as the head legal counsel.  She received special recognition from senior military leadership for her work as the primary civilian counsel for the forward-deployed force.  Ellen has also drafted appellate decisions, legal opinions, and litigation memoranda in high-stakes matters, and has led large-scale training programs for attorneys and government professionals.  Her written work has been published in The Veterans Law Journal and Jones on Evidence.

Ellen earned her Juris Doctor from The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, where she participated in moot court and public interest initiatives and received awards for Best Advocate on the Moot Court National Trial Team.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Philosophy from the University of Mary Washington and is a member in good standing of the Virginia Bar.  

 

She has a longstanding commitment to public service, including years of volunteer work as an attorney with Bread for the City in Washington, DC, as a GED tutor in an underserved community, and as a translator at a low-cost medical clinic.  She has also been active with the Junior League of Washington, where she chaired a committee of 800 members.  An accomplished equestrian, Ellen brings the same discipline and focus to her professional practice.