BIOGRAPHY OF MARK S. ZAID, ESQ.
Mark S. Zaid specializes in litigation and lobbying on matters relating to national security, foreign sovereign and diplomatic immunity, 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 Mr. Zaid often represents former/current federal employees, intelligence officers, Whistleblowers and others who have grievances against agencies of the United States government or foreign governments. Additionally, he frequently represents members of the media and the public in First Amendment and FOI/PA disputes. He has handled dozens of security clearance cases throughout the national security and military communities. He currently teaches the DC Bar CLE courses on FOIA and security clearances.
Mr. Zaid is also the Executive Director of the James Madison Project, a Washington, D.C.-based organization with the primary purpose of educating the public on issues relating to intelligence gathering and operations, secrecy policies, national security and government wrongdoing. He is the co-editor of LITIGATION UNDER THE FEDERAL OPEN GOVERNMENT LAWS. More information can be found at www.jamesmadisonproject.org.
In connection with his legal practice on international and national security matters, Mr. Zaid has testified before, or provided testimony to, a variety of governmental bodies including the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, the House Judiciary Committee, the House Government Reform Committee, the Department of Energy and the Assassination Records Review Board, an independent federal agency. Of particular note he testified as an expert witness on security clearances before subcommittees of the U.S. House of Representatives in February and July 2006, and before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary in April 2001, on the use of pre-employment polygraphs by the U.S. Government.
Mr. Zaid is a frequent contributor of opinion pieces and legal articles and has been published by, among others, the Washington Post, Washington Times, the National Law Journal and Findlaw.com. Additionally, he often appears as a commentator in media interviews for such entities as CNN, FoxNews, MSNBC, BBC, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Reuters, Associated Press and others.
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, he completed his undergraduate education (cum laude) in 1989 at the University of Rochester, New York with honors in Political Science and high honors in History. Mr. Zaid is a member of the Bars of New York State, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, and numerous federal courts.
He can be reached at or (202) 454-2809.