Bio
Vania Leveille is the senior legislative counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union National Political Advocacy Department and serves as the organization’s chief lobbyist and campaign strategist for women’s rights and disability rights. Through her work, Leveille works to protect and expand the rights and opportunities for women and people with disabilities.
Ms. Leveille covers a broad portfolio of issues. She is known for her visionary leadership and tenacious, creative, and strategic approach to federal advocacy. She has led several successful legislative campaigns including ones that improved workplace harassment laws, secured congressional funding for abortion care for women serving in our armed forces, prevented the abuse and trafficking of domestic workers employed by foreign diplomats in the United States, and protected the rights of people with disabilities to live in their homes and communities instead of institutions. Most recently, she was a leader in the successful congressional campaigns to pass the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act. She is currently a Board Member of the Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities.
Ms. Leveille came to the ACLU in 2006 with experience in both non-profit organizations and New York law firms. She led the advocacy work at Reading Is Fundamental, the nation's oldest and largest children's literacy organization. At a time when Congress was trimming its budget, she secured RIF’s federal funding and expanded congressional support for the organization’s work. She previously served as program director at the National Mentoring Partnership, where she helped shape the organization's national efforts. She co-founded and served on the Board of Directors of DC Cares, which connects volunteers with opportunities to serve the DC community. DC Cares is modeled after New York Cares, where Leveille served as assistant director.
Ms. Leveille also worked as a commercial litigator in New York law firms and clerked for the late Honorable Judge George Bundy Smith in the New York State Court of Appeals, the highest court in New York. She graduated from Columbia University and earned her J.D. from St. John's University School of Law on a full academic scholarship.
Featured work
![A seated pregnant woman participating in a brainstorming meeting.](https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2023/06/seated-pregnant-woman-in-brainstorming-meeting-f-400x266.jpg)
Jun 27, 2023
The Historic New Law Protecting Fairness for Pregnant Workers
![U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) speaking, with U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) standing next to him, about the COVID-19 relief legislation being worked on in the Senate, on February 11. 2021.](https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2021/02/WEB21-covid-relief-bill-priorities-wordpress-1110x740-1-400x266.jpg)
Feb 17, 2021
Racial Justice Priorities in the Congressional COVID-19 Relief Bill
![A wheelchair user holding a sign with the text "Disability rights = civil rights."](https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2020/12/WEB20-Disability-Rights-Civil-Rights-WordPress-1110x740-1-400x266.jpg)
Dec 10, 2020
The Biden Administration’s Disability Rights To-Do List
![Demonstrators at a protest march.](https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2020/12/WEB20-WRP-Pillar-WordPress-1110x740-1-400x266.jpg)
Dec 4, 2020
The Biden Administration’s Women’s Rights To-Do List
![Pregnant Workers Fairness Act](https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2020/01/WEB19-BlogImage-WordPress-Pregnant-Worker-1110x740-400x266.jpg)
Jan 10, 2020
Pregnant Workers Are Still Fighting for the Right to Work
![Protester holding sign stating "Sexual Harassment: Not on my Watch"](https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2019/09/web19-sexual-harassment-protest-sign-1160x768-400x266.jpg)
Apr 10, 2019
Seven Years after #METOO, the BE HEARD Act Will Revolutionize Workplace Harassment Protections
![Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at an event to advocate for the Paycheck Fairness Act](https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2019/09/web19-aocpaycheckfairnessact-1160x768-400x266.jpg)
Mar 26, 2019
Top 5 Reasons Why the House Should Pass the Paycheck Fairness Act
![Kid Handcuffs](https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2019/09/web19-kidhandcuffs-1160x768-400x266.jpg)
Feb 27, 2019
It’s Time to Make Sure Our Kids Are No Longer Bound, Shackled, or Locked Away When They’re at School
![Handicapped Parking Spot](https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2019/09/web17-handicappedparkingspot-1160x768-400x266.jpg)
Feb 2, 2018
Congress Let an Important Disability Rights Program Expire — Now People Are Trapped In Institutions