JILL VOGEL

Jill Vogel thought that her clerkship in political law would “merely be a short indulgence,” and then she’d go back to “real work.” But it turned out that she loved that area of the law more than insurance, family and criminal law, and now the former state senator has dedicated her entire career to it. 

“In my view, [political law] is the most satisfying, challenging and dynamic area of law,” Vogel says. “Since the day I started our firm, the practice of law, has never felt like work again.”

Aside from serving as a managing partner at her law practice, Vogel was also the first woman to serve as chief counsel for the Republican National Committee, was a Republican Virginia state senator from 2008 to 2024, and was the GOP nominee for lieutenant governor in 2017. She also previously served as deputy general counsel for the U.S. Department of Energy. During her time in the Virginia Senate, her legislative focuses included public education, services for children with autism, and health care access.

Vogel’s advice to other women pursuing leadership in law is to not settle.

“Women often compromise and make decisions around career and family that seem rigid and forced, especially when they work in a highly competitive environment,” Vogel says. “There is so much satisfaction in hard work on your own terms, and it applies equally at every career stage.”

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