Michael Waldman
Michael A. Waldman is an American attorney and political advisor serving as the president of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, a nonpartisan law and policy institute. Waldman has led the center since 2005. Education. Waldman earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia University in 1982 and a Juris Doctor from the New York University School of Law in 1987. During law school, Waldman worked on the "New York University Law Review". Career. Prior to his government service, Waldman was the executive director of Public Citizen's Congress Watch, then the capital's  largest consumer lobbying office (1989–92). He was a Lecturer in Public Policy at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government (2001–03), teaching courses on political reform, public leadership and communications. He was a partner in a litigation law firm in New York City and Washington, D.C. From 1993 to 1995, Waldman was a special assistant to President Bill Clinton for policy coordination. As the top White House policy aide on campaign finance reform, he drafted the Clinton administration's public financing proposal. From 1995 to 1999, he was Director of Speechwriting, serving as Assistant to the President, and was  responsible for writing or editing nearly 2,000 speeches, including four State of the Union and two Inaugural Addresses. In a September 2000 interview with PBS, he discussed his experiences at the White House, including his role as speechwriter, President Clinton's communication style, and the White House response to events such as the Oklahoma City bombing and the Lewinsky scandal. On April 9, 2021, Waldman was named to the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States by President Joe Biden. Media appearances. Waldman appears frequently on television and radio to discuss public policy, the presidency and the  law. Appearances include Good Morning America; PBS "Newshour", CBS Evening News; the O'Reilly Factor; Nightline; 60 Minutes; "Hardball" with Chris Matthews; CNN's "Crossfire"; the "Dylan Ratigan Show"; color commentary on NBC (State of the Union) and ABC (Obama inaugural); NPR's "Morning Edition"; "All Things Considered"; "Fresh Air"; "Diane Rehm"; The Colbert Report; and many other programs. He writes frequently for publications including "The New York Times", "Washington Post", "Newsweek", "Slate" and "Democracy". Writing. Waldman is the author of several books, including: Personal life. Waldman spent the majority of his childhood in Great Neck, New York. He is married  to Elizabeth Fine, currently the counsel to the New York Governor Kathy Hochul. She was previously general counsel to the New York City Council and the Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the United States during the Clinton administration. Together, they have three children. Waldman and his family currently reside in Brooklyn, New York. His brother, Steven Waldman, co-founded Beliefnet and formerly served as a senior advisor to the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.