The firm has an active elections law and ethics-in-government practice, representing candidates, political committees, corporations, citizen groups, and public agencies in compliance matters and in litigation on ballot access issues, campaign finance and ethics regulations, initiative and referendum law, and contested elections. Over the years, the firm has represented numerous political committees and organizations in drafting state and local ballot measures and in litigation over the qualification of initiative and referendum petitions for the ballot.

Obama for America

Strumwasser & Woocher was California State Counsel for the 2008 Obama presidential campaign, representing it in litigation and working with the campaign’s California staff on Voter Protection matters. After the election, the firm has represented President Obama and Vice President Biden in litigation challenging the President’s citizenship.

Representation of Candidates and Committees

In every election cycle, Strumwasser & Woocher advises and represents candidates and campaign committees in election law matters. Issues typically involve candidate qualifications, ballot designations and official voter-pamphlet arguments, recounts and election contests. Jeffrey v. Superior Court, 102 Cal. App. 4th 1 (2002); Nicolopulos v. City of Lawndale, 91 Cal. App. 4th 1221 (2001); Woo v. Superior Court, 83 Cal. App. 4th 967 (2000); Schweisinger v. Jones, 68 Cal. App. 4th 1320 (1998).

California Common Cause

Representing an intervenor public interest organization, the firm unsuccessfully sought from the California Supreme Court reformation of Proposition 73, the campaign reform initiative previously enjoined from enforcement by a federal court, in order to resurrect the measure's campaign-contribution limits. Kopp v. Fair Pol. Practices Com., 11 Cal. 4th 607 (1993).

Native American Tribal Representation

Strumwasser & Woocher has represented and advised the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians in electoral and constitutional issues, including the negotiation of its 1999 Gaming Compact with the Governor of California. The firm drafted for the Tribe Proposition 70 on the November 2004 California ballot, and has handled election-law litigation in connection with that initiative measure.

Open Primary Initiative

Recently prevailing in the California Court of Appeal, Strumwasser & Woocher worked on behalf of the proponents of Proposition 62 — a citizen-sponsored open primary initiative that appeared on California’s November 2004 ballot — who challenged the California Legislature’s effort to undermine Proposition 62 by placing a competing measure on the ballot that unconstitutionally combined two unrelated proposed amendments to the California Constitution in violation of the California Constitution’s separate-vote requirement. After the California Court of Appeal ruled in favor of Proposition 62 and held that the Legislature’s improperly conjoined measures must appear on the ballot as two separate proposed constitutional amendments, the California Supreme Court granted review and upheld the ruling. Californians for an Open Primary v. Shelley, 121 Cal. App. 4th 222 (2004).

Congressional Election Contests

The firm successfully represented Members of Congress Loretta Sanchez and Jane Harman in election contests before the House Oversight Committee and in court. Dornan v. Sanchez, 978 F. Supp. 1315 (C.D. Cal. 1997).

Compton Mayoral Election

Strumwasser & Woocher successfully represented the winner of the Compton mayoral election in an appeal that overturned the trial court's decision to remove him from office on the mistaken theory that the runner-up would have won the election had his name been listed first, rather than second, on the ballot. Bradley v. Perrodin, 106 Cal. App. 4th 1153 (2003).

El Toro Conversion

The firm represented parties seeking to develop the abandoned El Toro Marine Air Station as a commercial airport in lieu of further expansion of existing airports in urban centers. The representation included litigation over conflicting ballot measures and over environmental regulation. Citizens for Jobs and the Economy v. County of Orange, 94 Cal. App. 4th 1311 (2002); Songstad v. Superior Court, 93 Cal. App. 4th 1202 (2001).

Representation of Election Officials

Strumwasser & Woocher frequently represents local election and ethics officials in litigation when governmental lawyers have a conflict or lack sufficient expertise.

Electronic Voting Machine

The firm represents clients seeking recounts of elections conducted on electronic voting machines and organized non-partisan, public interest suit to vindicate statutory guarantee of a meaningful recount when local elections officials denied access to voting machine data.

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