Reema Dodin

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Reema Dodin

| birth_date =

| birth_place = North Carolina, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Democratic

| education = University of California, Berkeley (BA)
University of Illinois, Urbana–Champaign (JD)

}}

Reema Dodin is an American political advisor who served as the deputy director of the White House Office of Legislative Affairs in the Biden administration. Upon taking office, she became the highest ranking Palestinian-American woman to serve in the Executive Office of the President of the United States.{{cite news |title=Biden taps Palestinian-American as deputy legislative director |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/biden-taps-palestinian-american-as-deputy-legislative-director/ |access-date=25 November 2020 |work=Times of Israel |date=25 November 2020}} She is the former deputy chief of staff and floor director for Dick Durbin as the Senate Democratic Whip.

Early life and education

Dodin was born in North Carolina.{{cite news |last1=Grudin |first1=Nicholas |title=UC student gives Palestinian perspective |url=https://www.lodinews.com/article_8ff1b972-d147-56f9-9bdd-8250341c7fd5.html |access-date=25 November 2020 |work=Lodi News |date=24 April 2002}} Her parents, Bajis and Samia Dodin, are Palestinian.{{cite news |last1=Karam |first1=Joyce |title=Reema Dodin is first Arab-American named in Joe Biden's White House |url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/the-americas/reema-dodin-is-first-arab-american-named-in-joe-biden-s-white-house-1.1117234 |access-date=25 November 2020 |work=The National News |date=24 November 2020}} Dodin's parents immigrated to the United States in the 1970s from Dura, Hebron in the West Bank.{{cite news |title=Palestinian family 'happy' as daughter on Biden's team |url=https://www.yenisafak.com/en/news/palestinian-family-happy-as-daughter-on-bidens-team-3555076 |access-date=25 November 2020 |work=Yeni Şafak |date=25 November 2020}} Her grandfather is Mustafa Dodin, a social affairs minister in Jordan who was involved Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations in the 1970s.{{cite news |last1=Joffre |first1=Tzvi |title=Reema Dodin to be first Palestinian-American White House staffer |url=https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/reema-dodin-to-be-first-palestinian-american-white-house-staffer-650088 |access-date=25 November 2020 |work=The Jerusalem Post |date=25 November 2020}}

Dodin earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Berkeley in political science and economics in 2002.{{cite book |last1=Struglinksi |first1=Suzanne |last2=Young |first2=Samantha |title=The Almanac of the Unelected, 2013: Staff of the U.S. Congress |date=29 April 2013 |publisher=Bernan Press |location=Lanham, MD |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1RsjAQAAQBAJ&dq=Reema%20Dodin&pg=PA381 |isbn=978-1598886313 |pages=381 |access-date=25 November 2020}} While there, she participated in social justice and public health work. In 2006, Dodin interned in Senator Dick Durbin's office.{{cite news |last1=Jansen |first1=Bart |title=Biden names 2 White House staffers to help negotiate legislation with Congress |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/11/23/joe-biden-staffers-reema-dodin-shuwanza-goff-legislative-affairs-white-house/6389929002/ |access-date=25 November 2020 |work=USA TODAY |date=23 November 2020}} That same year, she earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign.{{Cite web|last1=November 23|last2=McClure|first2=2020 / 12:10pm / Julie|title=Reema Dodin, a U of I College of Law grad, has been added to Biden's senior staff : SPlog : Smile Politely|url=https://www.smilepolitely.com/splog/reema_dodin_a_u_of_i_college_of_law_grad_has_been_added_to_bidens_senior/|access-date=2020-11-25|website=www.smilepolitely.com|date=November 23, 2020 }}

Career

Dodin returned to work for Senator Dick Durbin after graduation in the fall of 2006. Her early years with Durbin were spent as an aide for the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary's subcommittee on human rights. Dodin's latter years were spent in his leadership whip office, as counsel, then director, and then as his deputy chief of staff, managing his whip and floor operations.{{cite news |title=Biden appoints Jordanian-American Reema Dodin as White House Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs |url=https://en.royanews.tv/news/23688/2020-11-24 |access-date=25 November 2020 |work=Roya News |date=24 November 2020 |language=en}} His farewell address for her noted her contributions to several major legislative items.{{Cite web|title=User Clip: Tribute to Reema Dodin {{!}} C-SPAN.org|url=https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4859488/user-clip-tribute-reema-dodin|access-date=2021-10-14|website=www.c-span.org|language=en-us}}

Dodin volunteered as voter protection counsel through several elections. She volunteered for President Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign focusing on voter rights and for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign.{{cite news|last1=Jansen|first1=Bart|date=23 November 2020|title=Biden names 2 White House staffers to help negotiate legislation with Congress|work=USA TODAY|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/11/23/joe-biden-staffers-reema-dodin-shuwanza-goff-legislative-affairs-white-house/6389929002/|access-date=25 November 2020}}{{cite news|last1=Khouri|first1=Samar|date=24 November 2020|title=Arab-American Reema Dodin Named White House Deputy Director Of Legislative Affairs|work=Forbes Middle East|url=https://www.forbesmiddleeast.com/leadership/women-leaders/jordanian-american-reema-dodin-appointed-as-white-house-deputy-director-of-legislative-affairs|access-date=25 November 2020}}

In 2017, she co-authored Inside Congress: A Guide for Navigating the Politics of the House and Senate Floors published by the Brookings Institution.

Ms. Dodin served as a Term Member on the Council of Foreign Relations. She is also a fellow for the Truman National Security Project and the New Leaders Council.{{cite news|date=24 November 2020|title=Biden appoints Jordanian-American Reema Dodin as White House Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs|language=en|work=Roya News|url=https://en.royanews.tv/news/23688/2020-11-24|access-date=25 November 2020}}

In November 2020, Dodin began working, as a volunteer, on the presidential transition of Joe Biden, overseeing legislative engagement between the transition and Capitol Hill on nominations.{{cite news |title=Biden names Reema Dodin, Shuwanza Goff to legislative affairs team |url=https://thejewishvoice.com/2020/11/biden-appoints-rationalizer-of-palestinian-suicide-bombers-to-his-white-house-staff/ |access-date=25 November 2020 |work=KUSA |agency=Associated Press |date=23 November 2020}}

Dodin was named Deputy Director of the White House Office of Legislative Affairs, alongside Shuwanza Goff, for the Biden administration in November 2020. Her role in the Biden administration makes her the highest ranking Palestinian-American woman to serve in the Executive Office of the President of the United States.

Personal life

Dodin is the oldest of four siblings.{{fact|date=November 2024}}

Works

Alongside Trevor Corning and Kyle Nevins, Dodin is the co-author of Inside Congress: A Guide for Navigating the Politics of the House and Senate Floors published by the Brookings Institution in 2017. {{ISBN|0815727321}}