Dara Gold ’27, who has extensive experience in election analytics and a Ph.D. in mathematics, has been studying redistricting for nearly a decade and using her background to create more equitable access to the United States’ democratic process. Now, her focus is taking a calculated shift towards law.
“Before coming to law school, I served as a consulting expert for a law firm in their redistricting litigation. They were using a computational approach to making district maps, which is becoming more common across the U.S.,” said Gold. “I also did research on computational redistricting and other technical problems in the voting and elections space at a Tufts University research center that specialized in these issues. After that — during a lull in redistricting work — I worked at The Washington Post on their election-night prediction model.”
Gold said it was the Law School’s multifaceted approach to legal education that appealed to her most and prompted her to apply.
“Yale Law School seemed like the perfect place to pursue an interdisciplinary path, where I could combine my math background with new legal studies,” said Gold. “The faculty and student body have been endlessly encouraging of nontraditional paths and of weaving the law into all kinds of careers.”
Gold said she is looking forward to pivoting her focus primarily to election law, which she says has been “hugely influential” on her work up until now. She has some law school aspirations outside of the classroom, as well, which include learning about her classmates’ varied backgrounds — and one day scoring a savory treat from the local bakery East Rock Breads before they sell out.
So far, Gold’s favorite Law School experiences have included singing Disney songs with her classmate’s two-year-old daughter, going to a BBQ with her small group, and taking advantage of the Rice Krispies Treats sold in the Dining Hall.
September 2024