Name:                               Salli Swartz Gender:                            Female External links:               Website Candidate:                          International Counsel Member since:                      1990's Country/Countries:              France Biography:    I have lived and practiced international business law in Paris for over 40 years. I started my own law firm with French partners in 1988 and have successively managed it for 33 years. I served as Chair of the International Section the American Bar Association which has members in over 90 countries and successively ran a meeting in Paris for over 1500 international lawyers and raised over 300K€. I sit on the Board of Advisors of the International Legal Assistance Consortium (Sweden), am the founding architect of the International Recruitment Integrity System operated by the IOM (Geneva), have worked pro bono fin Africa for the Columbia School of Sustainable Development, the African Development Bank,the International Senior Lawyers Project and other NGOs by training Government official in contract negotiations.I have done work with the OECD and helped draft "Guidelines for Durable Extractive Contracts" as well as other publications.

Describe your volunteer work with DA and cite your greatest DA accomplishment.

I have served two terms in DAF as counsel and VC and have worked on the DAF bylaws on several ocassions as well as being an active member of the DAF Women's Caucus. I am a former Chair of the Global Women's Caucus and currently a member of its steering committee and Chair of its Reproductive Justice Action Team. I have served as Vice Chair of the 2020 Platform Committee, drafted a charter amendment concerning gender harassment which was adopted, attended since 2015 all if not all of the EMEA and Global meetings, was elected as a Hillary Clinton delegate for the 2016 Democrat Convention.

Why are you running for this office?

This is my third run for the position of International Counsel I have ran for this position because I think I am well suited to carry out the duties of the position in a team spirit, amicably, efficiently and wisely. I have the experience, the time and the enthusiasm I also think it is about time we elected a women international counsel.

How will your skill sets and experience contribute to DA's success?

I am organized, efficient and a "can do" person. When a problem or question arises, I find solutions and measure the benefit/risk to the organization. This is what I do for my clients and what I would do for DA. I like working as a team and enjoy giving simple explanations to non lawyers.. If I don't know the answer, I will find the experts who do. My goal is to keep DA out of trouble and to work with the ExCom to assure that our goals are met with as little difficulty as possible.

Are there any DA organizational or practical issues (not political goals) that you would like to address should you be elected?

Yes, I would like to create the "Office of Legal Counsel" or Council of Counsels (which exists but does not really function well). This "entity" would be headed by the International Counsel and would comprise several lawyers, with at least one counsel per region in coordination with the regional vice chairs. I would also have specialized attorneys who are members for data protection, tax, funding issues and the like. It is important for DA that it has the legal advice it requires on all of the subjects it may encounter and that the concerns of the ExCom are met efficiently, validly, legally and with good common sense. I do not like making a mountain out of a molehill and do not want to impress anybody with my legal skills. I want to get the job done with good humor and the necessary skill..

How can Democrats Abroad best raise our profile among American voters abroad and better work to elect Democrats?

I am not an expert in communications/marketing but I do think that if we want to raise our profile, we have to excite people with the issues they care about and talk to them about the problems they face everyday such as tax, residency in the US, social security benefits, nationality issues and the like. We need to convince Americans abroad that they can change things for the better by voting and why protecting our voting rights for those of us abroad and the minorities in the US is so important.

Endorsement from Connie Borde, Democrats Abroad France

ENDORSEMENT FOR SALLI SWARTZ AS COUNSEL FOR
DEMOCRATS ABROAD
I’ve nominated Salli Swartz for International Counsel, and I’d like to give my
reasons for doing so. In addition to being a long-time friend of Salli’s, I’ve
worked a lot in the past with her on political issues within Democrats
Abroad France. and now with the Global Women’s Caucus. Every time
I’ve been on a team with her, she’s been brilliant.  She worked with me
when I was Chair of France and she has been Vice Chair twice and
Counsel twice. She was much appreciated cuz she is fearless, fast and
efficient and gets things done. Alert: Salli speaks truth to power in her own
indomitable way. And most of us love her for it.
And the same is true on the Women’s Caucus - where she has been a star
on issues like reproductive rights, the ERA, court cases and decisions -,
and on the Policy Committee for the 2020 DA Platform. She has laser
vision and legal skills, and total commitment.
Salli is a crack lawyer in Paris. She worked for two major law firms and
then started a firm of her own. She still works part-time at that firm. She
has a prodigious past history with the American Bar Association. She does
more pro-bono work than any lawyer I’ve ever met, always ready to help a
person in need.
I feel we’d be losing a great opportunity within DA if we pass up this
opportunity.  Commitment, talent, dedication and whiz-kid brains. She’s
also a lot of fun and brightens up a room, a screen or a stage. Democrats
Abroad would profit from having her as their legal advocate. Vote for Salli!

Endorsement from Douglas Glucroft

I am honored and delighted to endorse Salli Swartz for Democrats Abroad’s international counsel in the upcoming global elections.  I have been involved for more than 30 years with Democrats Abroad – France, serving as chair, vice-chair and member of the executive committee over the years.  As such, I had the privilege of watching Salli Swartz in action from a front-row seat.  She is formidable – high-energy, with the qualities that make her a great lawyer: the ability to deftly analyze a complicated issue, argue a position and implement the results of that discussion.  With Salli Swartz on the ballot, Democrats Abroad has a wonderful opportunity to bring someone of great integrity, wit and intelligence to its governance.   Salli’s persistence will serve the organization well. 

Endorsement from Farid E. Ben-Amor

I have the privilege of knowing Salli well having worked with her on the 2020 DA Platform where I served as co-chair and she as co-vice chair.  The platform work lasted for nearly a year, and during some periods almost full-time.  Salli is an extremely experienced and dedicated hard worker with great knowledge of many policy matters.  She is a team player who brought her good humor, negotiating and listening skills, sense of proportionality, editing, and legal research and analysis skills to the shaping of the planks.  She also interacted with the scores of platform volunteers in a constructive spirit of cooperation and team building.  On a more personal note, Salli has been a very supportive friend and I think DA would be so lucky to have someone as earnest and compassionate as her as Counsel.