Nolan Downey

Nolan Downey

As a staff attorney on the economic justice team, Nolan is primarily focused on getting cash into the hands of those who need it, primarily through refundable tax credits and innovative mechanisms like guaranteed income programs.

Nolan began his career at the Shriver Center on Poverty Law specializing in public benefits programs — particularly the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — and advocating for expanded access to these critical supports. He directly represented SNAP recipients whose benefits had been erroneously terminated and engaged in administrative and legislative advocacy to strengthen the food assistance program. Most recently, Nolan served as a staff attorney for the Shriver Center’s Legal Impact Network (LIN). In this role, he collaborated on multistate projects and convened members to share resources, advocacy strategies, and information while identifying opportunities to work together on campaigns to advance racial and economic justice.

Nolan received his juris doctorate from DePaul University College of Law, where he graduated summa cum laude and received the Senior Service Award for students who have made substantial contributions to the law school.