when did debra katz become blasey ford's attorney

by Raymundo Stroman Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago 6 min read

When was Brett Kavanaugh confirmed?

Kavanaugh was confirmed in a 50-48 Senate vote on October 6, immediately following the investigation. Lovelace's book claims Katz was angry at the white men in charge of the Senate confirmation process and had a partisan axe to grind by trying to keep a conservative off the court.

Who is Ryan Lovelace?

American Lawyer Magazine reporter Ryan Lovelace authored a book released last week entitled, Search and Destroy: Inside the Campaign against Brett Kavanaugh, portraying Katz as a partisan, politically-motivated feminist who encouraged Ford to smear Kavanaugh.

Who is Christine Blasey Ford's attorney?

Christine Blasey Ford's attorney, Debra Katz, serves as vice chair for a "Soros-funded organization" that opposes the Supreme Court confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh.

Who is the spokesperson for Open Society Foundation?

Open Society Foundation spokeswoman Laura Silver told us the OSF works on behalf of public causes that promote increasing overall social equality and quality of life:

Is Katz a non-profit?

The organization that Katz vice chairs, the Project on Government Oversight, has dozens of funding sources (including conservative donors) and is a non-partisan government accountability non-profit which has not taken a position supporting or opposing Judge Kavanaugh's confirmation.

Is Debra Katz an attorney?

It’s true that Debra Katz has served as an attorney for Dr. Ford , and she has indeed also served for years as vice chair of the board for the Project on Government Oversight (POGO), a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit that advocates for government transparency and accountability. But claims about the organization’s funding and position on Kavanaugh’s confirmation have been distorted.

Overview

Notable clients

Alongside Lisa Banks, Katz represents 40 former employees of the Washington Football Team. The clients accused the organization of fostering a toxic and abusive work environment for years, in which women were frequently subjected to sexual harassment. After these allegations were reported on by the Washington Post, the team hired an outside law firm to conduct an independent investigation, which was later taken over by the NFL. The team was fined $10 millio…

Early life and education

Katz was raised in Woodmere, New York as a Reform Jew. and graduated from George W. Hewlett High School. In 1980, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree (summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) from Union College and in 1984, a J.D. cum laude from the University of Wisconsin Law School where she was a member of the Wisconsin Law Review and as Articles Editor of the Wisconsin Women's Law Journal. She ultimately left the Wisconsin Law Review and founded the Wisconsi…

Career

After law school, Katz clerked for Judge William A. Bablitch on the Wisconsin Supreme Court and held a Women's Law and Public Policy Fellowship at Georgetown University Law Center.

Notable cases

Debra Katz, Carolyn Wheeler and Joseph Abboud represented members of a student feminist group at the University of Mary Washington who were subjected to online harassment and threats. In December 2018, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that university officials had an obligation to proactively protect the students against online sexual harassment, and that such action would not infringe any student's free speech rights. This ruling represents the first time that students h…

Affiliations

Katz is vice chair of the board of directors of the Project On Government Oversight. She has contributed articles to Ms. Magazine. Katz is also on the board of directors of Americans for Peace Now.

Honors and awards

In 2019 and 2021, Katz was named to the Washingtonian Magazine's list of "The Most Powerful Women in Washington, D.C."
Katz is a Fellow at The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, a Member of the International Women's Forum, and a Fellow of the American Bar Association. Katz was named the “Civil Rights Lawyer of the Year” for Washington by The Best Lawyers In America for 2018, a pioneering #Me…

Personal life

Katz has one son, Ari Katz. She is married to Nicole Berner, General Counsel of the Service Employees International Union.