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Jennifer Duck '92 by Karl Olson '08 Recognizing her time at St. Olaf as pivotal to developing her interest in domestic public policy, Jennifer Duck ’92 has spent a great deal of time exploring her passion, working today as the Chief Counsel and Staff Director for U.S. Senator Diane Feinstein’s subcommittee in Washington, D.C. Duck’s position has her writing legislation, policy papers, memos, speeches, and press releases for the Senator. Duck has worked on many different pieces of legislation, including one recently that blocks discrimination based on a person’s genetic makeup. She wrote parts of it and feels that genetic discrimination could have grown into a larger problem had science evolved with no legislation in place. Duck was also one of the lead investigators in the U.S. Attorney firings that led to the dismissal of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales earlier this year. If this does not seem like enough work, Duck works on judicial nominations to ensure “fair, even-handed judges” cannot “radically change the rule of law” in the short or long term. Duck graduated from St. Olaf with degrees in political science and speech/theater. She rarely makes speeches but understands the value of a strong argument and understanding all positions. She still thinks back to when a professor required her to debate on a side she did not support. Now that she is a staffer in the U.S. Senate, she has many sides to consider. “My passion is working on public policies that impact our country,” Duck said. |
