Elisa Massimino
Director of the Washington, D.C. Office
Joined the Lawyers Committee in 1991

As Director of the Washington office, Elisa Massimino is the Lawyers Committee’s point of contact with U.S. government leaders, international diplomats, and human rights opinion leaders and decision makers. Elisa is the organization’s chief advocacy strategist, a national authority on refugee law and policy and an expert on a range of international human rights issues. Elisa testifies frequently before Congress, writes extensively for legal and popular publications, and serves as one of the organization’s primary spokespeople with the media.

Before joining the Lawyers Committee in 1991, Elisa taught philosophy at several universities in Michigan before embarking on a second career in law. As a litigation associate at the law firm of Hogan & Hartson, she was pro bono counsel for many human rights cases. She joined the Lawyers Committee as a staff attorney in 1991 and has been Director of the Washington, D.C. office since 1997.

Elisa holds philosophy degrees from Trinity University (1982) and Johns Hopkins (1984), and a J.D. from University of Michigan Law School (1988). Since earning her J.D., she has taught refugee and asylum law at George Washington University School of Law, and international human rights law at the University of Virginia School of Law.