Harry Litman

Harry P. Litman (born c. 1958)[1] is an American lawyer, law professor and political commentator. He is a former U.S. Attorney and Deputy Assistant Attorney General.[2][3] He has provided commentary in print and broadcast news and produces the Talking Feds podcast. He has taught in multiple law schools and schools of public policy.

Harry Litman (photo by Eric Blau)

Harry Litman
United States Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania
In office
1998–2001
PresidentBill Clinton
Preceded byFrederick Thieman
Succeeded byMary Beth Buchanan
Personal details
Bornc. 1958 (age 64–65)
Political partyDemocratic
EducationHarvard University (BA)
University of California, Berkeley (JD)

Litman served as a law clerk to Abner Mikva, Thurgood Marshall, and Anthony Kennedy. His practice specialties have included False Claims law and Whistleblower law.

Early life and education

Litman grew up in the Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and was named a Presidential Scholar upon graduation from high school in 1976.[1][4] Both his parents, Roslyn Litman and S. David Litman, were lawyers as well as civil liberties advocates.[5] He attended the Tree of Life Synagogue as a youth.[6] He received his Bachelor of Arts from Harvard College in 1980. After graduating, he worked as a sports reporter for the Associated Press and as a production assistant for feature films.[1][7]

He received his Juris Doctor from the University of California at Berkeley in 1986, where he was editor-in-chief of the California Law Review and graduated Order of the Coif.[1][4][8]

Career

Litman served as a law clerk to Abner Mikva of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit;[9] and Supreme Court Justices Thurgood Marshall[4] and Anthony Kennedy[4] during the 1987 and 1988 terms.[10][11]

Following his clerkships, Litman became an Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of California. While an Assistant U.S. Attorney, he was detailed to the Department of Justice's main office in Washington, D.C., to work on several national cases, including the federal re-prosecution of the Los Angeles police officers in the Rodney King case.[12]

From 1993 to 1998 he was a Deputy Assistant Attorney General[13] under Janet Reno[4] in the Department of Justice, coordinating the department's work on a number of issues and advising the Attorney General and other officials on questions of constitutional law and prosecutorial policy. Simultaneously, he was a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. In that capacity, he was co-counsel for Operation Underhand, prosecuting a narcotics ring that smuggled drugs into prison under the guise of providing religious counseling.[4]

In 1998, he was appointed U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania[4][8] by President Bill Clinton.

Litman in 2000 personally litigated a gun trafficking case under Operation Target.[14][15] In July 2000, Clinton nominated Litman for a judgeship on the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, but the Senate adjourned without considering the nomination.[16] While in government, Litman also taught at Berkeley Law School, Georgetown Law School and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.[17]

Litman developed a nationally recognized gun-violence reduction initiative known as Operation Target,[18] and personally litigated cases in the district court and the court of appeals.[19][20]

A Democrat, Litman served as Pennsylvania state counsel to the Kerry-Edwards campaign in 2004 and post-election counsel for Western Pennsylvania to the Obama-Biden presidential campaign in 2008.

After leaving government, Litman was appointed a Distinguished Visitor and Fellow at Princeton University's School of Law and Public Affairs.[21]

As of 2020 Litman was associated with the law firm Constantine Cannon in San Francisco, where he focuses on False Claims Act cases.[22]

He is listed in "Best Lawyers of America" in the categories "Commercial Litigation", "White Collar Criminal Defense", and "Qui Tam Law".

Litman is the host of the Talking Feds podcast which brings together prominent figures across government, law and journalism to discuss pressing issues of the day.[23]

Other activities

He has contributed opinion commentary to the Los Angeles Times,[24] The New York Times,[25] The Washington Post,[26] The Wall Street Journal,[27] CNN,[28] and Lawfare.[29]

Litman is a regular commentator on legal issues on National Public Radio (NPR) and for cable television networks including MSNBC,[30] CNN,[31] and Fox News.[32] Litman also provides legal and political analysis on BBC News and France 24.

Notable cases in private practice

Litman was lead counsel for the relator in Washington v. EDMC,[33] a False Claims Act case against a for-profit education chain. The case resulted in the largest settlement ever in an FCA case involving the U.S. Department of Education.[9]

He was counsel for Richard Cordray, then director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, in contemplated litigation against President Trump to prevent Cordray's termination.[34]

Litman represented Pittsburgh Mayor Thomas J. Murphy Jr. in a successful effort to prevent indictment on federal charges.[10] He also served as co-counsel by appointment of the Department of Justice in two cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.[35]

Teaching

As of 2018 Litman taught Constitutional Law and National Security Law at UCLA School of Law[8] and University of California, San Diego School of Political Science.[36] He previously taught at Berkeley Law School, Georgetown Law School, University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Princeton's School of Public Policy, and Rutgers University–Camden Law School and at Duquesne.[37][1]

Talking Feds podcast

In March 2019, Litman launched the podcast Talking Feds, a round-table of former federal officials discussing the legal issues of the day. Litman serves as host and executive producer. In March 2020 Marie Claire named it the second-best political podcast in the US to prepare listeners for the upcoming presidential election.[38]

Personal life

Litman is married to Julie Roskies Litman, a mathematician[39], three time jiu jitsu world champion,[40] and former professional bass player. They have 3 school age children; David, Lila, and Toby.[41] Litman's parents, Roslyn Litman[42] and David Litman, represented future NBA star Connie Hawkins in his successful suit to be admitted into the league. Litman's sister, Jessica Litman, is a lawyer and copyright scholar at the University of Michigan. His mother was attorney Roslyn Litman.[43] He is a member of the Democratic Party.[44]

See also

References
  1. "Harry Litman, Esq". duq.edu. Archived from the original on January 8, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  2. "PN1313 – Nomination of Harry Litman for Department of Justice, 105th Congress (1997–1998)". October 21, 1998.
  3. "PN971 – Nomination of Mary Beth Buchanan for Department of Justice, 107th Congress (2001–2002)". September 14, 2001.
  4. Ove, Torsten (April 17, 2001). "U.S. Attorney Litman to depart April 27". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on November 22, 2017. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  5. Rullo, David (October 9, 2020). "Pittsburgh native, former US attorney, creates 'Talking Feds' podcast". The Jewish Chronicle.
  6. Littman, Harry (October 30, 2018). "Op-Ed: After the Tree of Life shooting, my children will grow up less secure than their parents". The Los Angeles Times.
  7. "Harry Litman". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  8. "Harry Litman". UCLA. Archived from the original on December 24, 2017. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  9. Schwartz, John (June 26, 2010). "In a Mentor, Kagan's Critics See Liberal Agenda". The New York Times.
  10. Meuller, Kimberly J. (May 2019). "Justice Kennedy, Teacher" (pdf). UC Davis Law Review Online. UC Davis School of Law. 52: 341. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 26, 2020. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  11. Garrow, David J. (March 1999). "Lowest Form of Animal Life?: Supreme Court Clerks and Supreme Court History" (pdf). Cornell Law Review. Cornell University Law Library. 84 (3): 881–2. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 26, 2020. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  12. Conte, Andrew; Bowling, Brian. "Video doesn't guarantee civil rights charges against police officers". TribLIVE.com. Archived from the original on January 8, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  13. "Independent Counsel Structure & Function, February 19, 1998". C-SPAN.org. Archived from the original on January 8, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  14. Ove, Torsten (May 23, 2000). "US Attorney in Rare Role Wins Gun Case". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 31. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  15. "Operation targets weapons, violence". old.post-gazette.com. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  16. Smolkin, Rachel; Ove, Torsten (September 8, 2001). "Federal bench in Western Pa. may lose another judge". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on August 22, 2018. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  17. "U.S. Attorney Litman to depart April 27". old.post-gazette.com. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  18. https://old.post-gazette.com/regionstate/20000124guns1.asp
  19. "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania". Newspapers.com. May 23, 2000. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  20. https://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-3rd-circuit/1153540.html
  21. https://lapa.princeton.edu/history/2010-2011_annual_report.pdf
  22. "Harry Litman". Constantine Cannon. Archived from the original on January 8, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  23. "Talking Feds". Talking Feds. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  24. "Column: Don't be too sure about the Justice Department's 'duty' to indict Bannon". Los Angeles Times. October 22, 2021. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  25. Litman, Harry (November 21, 2018). "Opinion | How Long Before Trump Destroys the Rule of Law?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  26. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/03/02/this-race-could-be-bellwether-future-prosecution/
  27. Cordray, Harry Litman And Rich (May 14, 2010). "Harry Litman and Rich Cordray: The Highest Court in the Land". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  28. Litman, Harry (June 13, 2018). "The AT&T merger decision and the wages of Trump". CNN. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  29. https://www.lawfareblog.com/dont-expect-trump-testify-anytime-soon
  30. https://www.msnbc.com/yasmin-vossoughian-reports/watch/judge-orders-trump-and-children-to-testify-in-new-york-ag-investigation-13358189367
  31. Trump Organization accounting firm severs ties | CNN, February 16, 2022, retrieved September 10, 2023
  32. "Justice Department looking to interview senior CIA officials | Fox News Video". Fox News. June 13, 2019. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  33. Lewin, Tamar (August 9, 2011). "For-Profit College Group Sued as U.S. Lays Out Wide Fraud". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  34. "Cordray book details his near-firing | News by Edition | RESPA News". www.respanews.com. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  35. "How Murphy's lawyers faced down feds". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  36. "Professor Harry Litman" (PDF). UC San Diego. 2018.
  37. "Catalog Navigator : Harry Litman". catalogs.rutgers.edu. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  38. Jones, Alexis; Rodriguez, Bianca (March 5, 2020). "The Best Politics Podcasts to Help You Cut Through the Noise". Marie Claire. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  39. https://www.ams.org/publicoutreach/math-in-the-media/mathdigest-200309-polygon
  40. "International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation -". www.ibjjfdb.com. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  41. Stone, Ken (April 26, 2020). "Harry Litman at Home: CNN Talking Head Adds 'Talking Feds' Podcast to Portfolio". Times of San Diego. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  42. "Harry Litman", Wikipedia, August 28, 2023, retrieved September 9, 2023
  43. Roberts, Sam (October 8, 2016). "Roslyn Litman, Antitrust Lawyer and Civil Liberties Advocate, Dies at 88". New York Times.
  44. Litman, Harry (December 7, 2018). "Count Me as One Democrat Who Thinks Trump Made an Excellent Choice in William Barr". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
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