about rory
Education and Career
In 2001, after graduating Magna Cum Laude from the University of Washington with dual degrees in Economics and International Studies, Rory worked as a Legislative Assistant for Congressman Jim McDermott. In this role he had first hand exposure to policy making, including efforts to fund global health initiatives and advocate for environmental protections. His tenure on Capitol Hill coincided with pivotal events including the terrorist attacks of September 11th and the anthrax scare.
Rory furthered his education at Georgetown University Law Center, earning his J.D. in 2006. At Georgetown he participated in moot court competitions, served as Editor-in-Chief of Eyes on the ICC, and volunteered with the Innocence Project. His legal education was complemented by internships with the Federal Elections Commission and the Northwest Justice Project’s Native American Unit.
After completing a one year clerkship with Judge Edward Shea in the Eastern District of Washington, Rory transitioned into legal aid and poverty law. He represented survivors of domestic violence, homeowners facing foreclosure, and workers attempting to access the benefits they earned.
Rory has served as an adjunct professor at both the University of Washington School of Law and Seattle University School of Law, teaching courses on constitutional law, access to justice, and administrative law. He has published articles in the Seattle University Law Journal, the Gonzaga Law Review, and he has written Op Eds that have appeared in the Seattle Times, the Urbanist, and Real Change. Rory has argued cases before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Washington State Supreme Court.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Rory served as an Administrative Law Judge, helping the Office of Administrative Hearings clear its backlog of cases. In 2022, he founded Washington Employment Benefits Advocates, PLLC, a private practice law firm dedicated to representing workers seeking unemployment insurance benefits, where he currently practices.
Democracy reform advocate
For decades, Rory has been working to loosen the grip of big corporate interests on our elections. In 2003, he helped to found an organization called Washington Public Campaigns. More than 20 years later, that organization, now called Fix Democracy First, is still bringing people together around the issue of money in politics.
One of Washington Public Campaign’s early successes was overturning a state law that prohibited the use of public funding for elections. That state law change paved the way for the creation of Seattle’s democracy voucher program. In 2015, Rory helped craft the language of the initiative that created the first in the nation democracy voucher program.
Rory has also served on the board of FairVote Washington, an organization working to build support for ranked choice voting and proportional representation. Rory was chair of the board of FairVote in 2022, when the organization helped pass the city initiative that will allow for ranked choice voting for city races starting in 2027.
Also in 2022, Rory served on Seattle’s first ever redistricting commission, helping the commission come to a consensus on a map that rebalanced the city’s districts after a year of public hearings, outreach, and discussions.
Personal life
Rory grew up mostly in the Seattle area attending schools in Bellevue and Bainbridge Island. He sang in the Columbia Boys Choir and played alto and tenor saxophone in his high school jazz band. He spent a year teaching English in China before returning to Seattle to attend the University of Washington.
Rory lives with his wife, son, and dog in Columbia City.
