Overview
Amber Maltbie is a campaign finance and election law attorney, providing strategic counsel to individuals, nonprofits, agencies, and organizations engaged in political and lobbying activity. She has advised clients at the federal, state, and local levels and across all 50 states. Amber’s practice includes advising on campaign rules, government ethics, lobbying compliance, and all aspects of nonprofit entity formation. Additionally, she leverages the resources of Nossaman’s other practice groups to provide campaign organizations and nonprofit entities with assistance for their related employment law, tax law, and insurance needs. Amber has been recognized as an expert witness on campaign finance in both civil and administrative proceedings. She also is a frequent speaker and panelist on trending issues nationally.
In addition to her legal practice, Amber serves the community in a variety of capacities. In 2016, she was elected to the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council (DLANC), which helps shape the Los Angeles City Council’s agenda to reflect the priorities of the City’s neighborhoods. In 2019, Amber chaired the DLANC Election Committee, exercising oversight on such decisions as polling location, preparation of voter information guides, and voter outreach to ensure a high turnout election. For the past six years, Amber has served on the board of Emerge California, an organization that has trained more than 500 women to run for office in California. She chaired the board during the 2018 election, which saw a record number of women run and win in California and across the country. Amber is currently on the board of APIs Mobilize, a 501c.3 nonprofit that encourages young Asian and Pacific Islander leaders to step into civic roles at all levels of government. Finally, Amber teaches Election Law at McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento.
Prior to her legal career, Amber spent more than a decade working in politics. She served as Communications Director to a member of the California State Legislature and Campaign Manager and Political Director for a Member of Congress. For two election cycles, Amber worked in targeted congressional districts developing and implementing voter engagement programs around the country.
Amber’s background as a seasoned political and communications professional, combined with her leadership positions within nonprofit organizations, positions her to truly partner with clients to achieve their advocacy goals.
Amber also excels in matters at the intersection between U.S. and international election law, gender issues, and women's political participation. She has been widely recognized as a leading expert in gender and elections. Her work on women's voting rights in emerging democracies has been cited in United Nations Development Programme reports and published by international NGOs. In addition to her scholarly work on women's voting rights, Amber has worked with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems in North Mitrovica, Kosovo during Kosovo’s first Parliamentary elections in 2010.