Gilda Daniels

Gilda Daniels is a Professor of Law at the University of Baltimore School of Law, specializing in voting rights, civil rights, and election law. She is a nationally recognized expert with extensive experience in the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and as a civil rights attorney advocating for electoral justice.

Education:

• J.D., New York University School of Law
• B.A., Grambling State University

Professor Daniels' research centers on voter suppression, election reform, and the intersection of race, religion, and democracy. Her seminal work includes the book Uncounted: The Crisis of Voter Suppression in America (NYU Press, 2020), which analyzes historical and contemporary barriers to voting access. She explores critical legal theory frameworks to challenge systemic disenfranchisement and advocates for policy reforms to strengthen democratic participation, particularly for marginalized communities.

Scientific Awards:

• Faculty Award for Outstanding Achievement in Public Discourse or Nontraditional Legal Scholarship: Non Traditional Scholarship

With over a decade of voting rights litigation experience under the Voting Rights Act and National Voter Registration Act, Daniels has shaped critical legal strategies during her tenure as Deputy Chief in the DOJ Voting Section under both Clinton and Bush administrations. Her career began with the Southern Center for Human Rights, where she represented death row inmates and pursued prison condition reforms, establishing her foundation in civil rights advocacy. She remains an active voice across major media platforms including NPR, PBS, CNN, and MSNBC, translating complex legal concepts into public discourse.