Mark S. Zaid, Esq.
Of Counsel
Mark S. Zaid is based in Washington, D.C. and specializes in crisis management . He is known for his innovation in handling complex administrative and litigation matters relating to national security, international law, foreign sovereign and diplomatic immunity, and the Freedom of Information/Privacy Acts.
In his practice, Mr. Zaid often represents former/current federal employees, particularly intelligence and military officers, defense contractors, Whistleblowers and others who have grievances, have been wronged or are being investigated by agencies of the United States Government or foreign governments, as well as members of the media.
Washingtonian Magazine has named Mr. Zaid a “Best Lawyer” for his security work in their bi-annual designation. He has also been named a Washington, D.C. Super Lawyer every year since 2009 and has been profiled for the same. As the National Law Journal once wrote, “if Agent Mulder ever needed a lawyer, Zaid would be his man.”
Mr. Zaid is also the Executive Director and founder 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. In 2017, Mr. Zaid co-founded Whistleblower Aid, a non-profit law firm that provides pro bono legal representation to whistleblowers, particularly in the national security arena.
Mr. Zaid teaches the D.C. Bar Continuing Legal Education classes on “The Basics of Filing and Litigating Freedom of Information/Privacy Act Requests” (since 2003), “Defending Security Clearances” (since 2006) and “Handling Whistleblower Cases: More Than the Basics” (since 2016). Additionally, Mr. Zaid is an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University in the Global Security Studies program, where he teaches on national security issues.
In connection with his legal practice, 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 Operations Committee, the Department of Energy, the Public Interest Declassification Board and the Assassination Records Review Board. He was appointed a Member by the Archivist of the United States to the Freedom of Information Act Advisory Committee from 2014 to 2016. “Curiously for this town,” once wrote the American Bar Association Journal, “Zaid is an equal opportunity thorn out to pierce the sides of suit jackets bearing both elephants and donkeys on the lapels.”
Mr. Zaid graduated from Albany Law School of Union University in New York in 1992, where he was also the Associate Editor of the university’s Law Review. He completed his undergraduate education in 1989 at the University of Rochester, New York, where he graduated cum laude 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, Maryland and numerous federal courts.