Fred Braunstein ’08 has found purpose in law and justice, drawing on gender studies

by Jodi Frank

When Fred Braunstein ’08 arrived at Skidmore College, he assumed he would study computer science. But an elective course in the Women’s Studies Program (since renamed Gender Studies) changed everything.

“It just felt like home,” Braunstein recalls. “You’re exploring questions of gender, sexuality, and race. It was fascinating, and it shaped my worldview.” 
 
Braunstein, who double majored in women’s studies and government (now political science), immersed himself in classes with the late Mary Zeiss Stange, a pioneering feminist scholar and the first director of Skidmore Women’s Studies, as well as with English Professor Mason Stokes and other influential educators. 
 
He also took on student leadership roles across campus, including serving as the Student Government Association’s first vice president for institutional diversity, a position he created to help elevate conversations around diversity and inclusion.

From the classroom to the courtroom

Today, Braunstein serves as the in-house principal counsel at Taskrabbit, the global online marketplace that connects people with skilled independent workers for everyday services — from furniture assembly and home repairs to cleaning and moving assistance. In this role, he advises the company’s American and Canadian business teams and helps guide legal strategy across a rapidly evolving landscape. 
 
Drawing on a career spanning civil rights advocacy, commercial litigation, securities, a federal clerkship, and intellectual property law, Braunstein brings a broad legal perspective to his work in navigating the complex regulatory and policy issues shaping the gig economy.  
 
After Skidmore, Braunstein went on to study law at the University of Michigan Law School, where he was drawn by the opportunity to study with renowned legal scholar Catharine MacKinnon, whose work he had first encountered in Stange’s classes. 
 
He began his legal career at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, where he gained experience as a commercial litigator while also witnessing history in the making. During his time there, the firm played a central role in United States v. Windsor, the landmark Supreme Court case that struck down key provisions of the Defense of Marriage Act, paving the way for federal recognition of same-sex marriages. 
 
“I got to meet Edie Windsor,” Braunstein says. “Just being there while that was happening was incredibly inspiring.” 
 
Braunstein subsequently clerked for a federal judge in San Francisco and later worked at several other law firms before joining Taskrabbit in 2022. That same year, he was recognized as an IP One to Watch by “Managing IP,” a London-based news and analysis service geared toward intellectual property professionals worldwide.

Committed to dignity and equality

Throughout his career, Braunstein has remained committed to civil rights litigation, particularly in support of transgender rights. He has helped dozens of transgender individuals navigate the legal process of changing their names — a step that can reduce discrimination, affirm identity, and improve personal safety in everyday interactions, from employment to housing. 
 
“The unfortunate truth is that violence is common against trans individuals when their passports or driver’s licenses don’t match their identity,” Braunstein says. “I want that to end.” 
 
He has also partnered with Lambda Legal on pro bono litigation, contributing to multiple cases brought by transgender plaintiffs that challenged barriers to basic rights and protections. In 2018, he was part of a team of attorneys that won a federal case securing access to medically necessary gender-affirming care for an incarcerated transgender woman.

Fred Braunstein ’08 in Skidmore's Wyckoff Center.

Earlier this spring, Braunstein returned to campus as a panelist for the Career Development Center’s Law Careers Panel, sharing his experiences with current students. 
 
Looking back, he sees a clear throughline between the questions he first explored in a women’s studies classroom and the work he does today. 
 
“It all connects,” he says. “At the end of the day, I’ve always sought out opportunities to create better outcomes for people.”