Mark Zaid
Encyclopedia
Mark S. Zaid is a Washington DC attorney
, with a practice focus on national security
law, free speech constitutional claims and government accountability. He was named as a 2009 DC Superlawyer for his work on behalf of national security whistleblowers. He founded the James Madison Project in 1998, an organization dedicated to reduce government secrecy. It is interested in the Freedom of Information Act and government whistleblowers. He is the co-editor of Litigation Under the Federal Open Government Laws.
, and a 1992 graduate of Albany Law School
of Union University
in New York
, where he served as an Associate Editor of the Albany Law Review.
, international transactions, international torts and crimes, defamation, the Constitution (First and Fifth Amendments), and the Freedom of Information/Privacy Acts (FOI/PA).
Through his practice, Zaid often represents former or current federal employees, intelligence officers, Whistleblowers who have grievances against agencies of the United States government or foreign governments. Additionally, he represents members of the media and the public in First Amendment and FOI/PA disputes. He has handled national security matters including security clearance revocations/denials, IG investigations, and other employment issues throughout the national security and military communities. He currently teaches the DC Bar CLE courses on FOIA and security clearances.
Some of his cases are well-known, including such as suing Libya for the 1988 terrorist bombing of Pan Am 103 which resulted in a $2.7 billion dollar settlement, the largest of its kind against a foreign government for terrorist activities, and obtaining a court-ordered injunction in 2004 effectively shutting down the Department of Defense's mandatory anthrax vaccination program for two years.
Zaid has been quoted recently in print and online news reports as an expert in National security law and FOIA
law. He has appeared as a commentator on CNN and MSNBC.
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, with a practice focus on national security
National security
National security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the state through the use of economic, diplomacy, power projection and political power. The concept developed mostly in the United States of America after World War II...
law, free speech constitutional claims and government accountability. He was named as a 2009 DC Superlawyer for his work on behalf of national security whistleblowers. He founded the James Madison Project in 1998, an organization dedicated to reduce government secrecy. It is interested in the Freedom of Information Act and government whistleblowers. He is the co-editor of Litigation Under the Federal Open Government Laws.
Education
Zaid is a 1989 graduate of the University of RochesterUniversity of Rochester
The University of Rochester is a private, nonsectarian, research university in Rochester, New York, United States. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The university has six schools and various interdisciplinary programs.The...
, and a 1992 graduate of Albany Law School
Albany Law School
Albany Law School is an ABA accredited law school based in Albany, New York. It was founded in 1851 by Amos Dean , Amasa Parker, Ira Harris and others....
of Union University
Union University
Union University is a private, evangelical Christian, liberal arts university located in Jackson, Tennessee, with additional campuses in Germantown, Tennessee, and Hendersonville, Tennessee...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, where he served as an Associate Editor of the Albany Law Review.
Practice
Zaid practices in litigation and lobbying on matters relating to national security, federal employment, foreign sovereign and diplomatic immunityDiplomatic immunity
Diplomatic immunity is a form of legal immunity and a policy held between governments that ensures that diplomats are given safe passage and are considered not susceptible to lawsuit or prosecution under the host country's laws...
, international transactions, international torts and crimes, defamation, the Constitution (First and Fifth Amendments), and the Freedom of Information/Privacy Acts (FOI/PA).
Through his practice, Zaid often represents former or current federal employees, intelligence officers, Whistleblowers who have grievances against agencies of the United States government or foreign governments. Additionally, he represents members of the media and the public in First Amendment and FOI/PA disputes. He has handled national security matters including security clearance revocations/denials, IG investigations, and other employment issues throughout the national security and military communities. He currently teaches the DC Bar CLE courses on FOIA and security clearances.
Some of his cases are well-known, including such as suing Libya for the 1988 terrorist bombing of Pan Am 103 which resulted in a $2.7 billion dollar settlement, the largest of its kind against a foreign government for terrorist activities, and obtaining a court-ordered injunction in 2004 effectively shutting down the Department of Defense's mandatory anthrax vaccination program for two years.
Zaid has been quoted recently in print and online news reports as an expert in National security law and FOIA
Freedom of Information Act (United States)
The Freedom of Information Act is a federal freedom of information law that allows for the full or partial disclosure of previously unreleased information and documents controlled by the United States government. The Act defines agency records subject to disclosure, outlines mandatory disclosure...
law. He has appeared as a commentator on CNN and MSNBC.
External links
- Official website
- The James Madison Project
- Personal comic book website
- Mark Zaid Interview at Abnormal Use
See also
- United States v. ReynoldsUnited States v. ReynoldsUnited States v. Reynolds, , is a landmark legal case in 1953 that saw the formal recognition of State Secrets Privilege, a judicially recognized extension of presidential power.- Overview :...