Elya Taichman ’22 is a Law & Public Policy Scholar and a Beasley Scholar at Temple University Beasley School of Law where he serves as a co-Vice President of the American Constitution Society.
Before law school, Elya served as the Legislative Director for Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham, who is now the governor of New Mexico. Elya’s role included managing the Congresswoman’s legislative agenda in addition to advising her on appropriations, financial services, foreign affairs, health care, tax, and trade policy. He was the Congresswoman’s lead staffer for her work on the House Agriculture Committee, where she was the Ranking Member on the Subcommittee for Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research. As such, Elya oversaw the Congresswoman’s work on the 2019 Farm Bill, which included a bill he drafted to create a new $550 million rural broadband grant program. Elya also staffed the Congresswoman in her work on the Budget and Oversight and Government Reform Committees.
Prior to his work in Congress, Elya worked on the legal and compliance team of the Blackstone Group in New York City. Elya graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania in December 2013 with a B.A. in Diplomatic History.
While in Washington, Elya is serving at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. His main policy interests include foreign affairs, national security, and cybersecurity.