David Markus

Last updated

David Evan Markus (born 1973) is an American attorney, public officer, rabbi and spiritual director. He currently serves as Deputy Chief Counsel in the New York State Judiciary, Judicial Referee in New York Supreme Court, co-chair of ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal, and co-rabbi of Temple Beth-El of City Island (New York City, New York). Markus formerly served as Special Counsel to the New York State Senate Majority. A leader of Jewish Renewal, Markus resides in Westchester County, New York.

Contents

Education and early career

A 1994 honors graduate of Williams College , Markus earned his Juris Doctor with high honors from Harvard Law School , where he was a member of the a cappella group Scales of Justice , and his Masters in Public Policy from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government in 2001, [1] which awarded Markus the Wilmers Fellowship for State and Local Government. While still a student, Harvard designated Markus an "Innovator in Public Service" for his work to improve legislative processes and government transparency using state-level C-SPAN public affairs systems [2] [3] [4] —work that prompted other states to explore gavel-to-gavel coverage of their governments [5] [6] and for which Markus won the national Goldsmith Award. [7] Previously Markus had served as policy assistant to environmental activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., [8] and as legislative director to New York State Assembly Member Sandy Galef (D-Westchester).

Career

Judiciary service

In 2001, after passing the New York Bar, Markus was appointed Law Clerk to New York Court of Appeals Associate Judge Albert M. Rosenblatt . He then was appointed Special Counsel for Programs and Policy under Chief Judges Judith Kaye and Jonathan Lippman. In this role, Markus helped guide the Judiciary's legislative program to reform New York's civil and criminal justice systems, as well as numerous blue-ribbon panels including the Special Commission on the Future of the New York State Courts, [9] and the Commission on Indigent Defense Services. [10] During this time, Markus also successfully represented the Judiciary in high-profile constitutional litigation.

Teaching

While working for the New York State Judiciary, Markus also served as Adjunct Professor of Political Science at Fordham University, where he taught courses on public policy, U.S. government and judicial policy, and served as Adjunct Professor of Public Administration at Pace University, where he taught administrative law and policy in the graduate Master in Public Administration program. [11]

Gubernatorial and presidential campaigns

In 2006, Markus staffed the Transition Working Group on Government Reform for the incoming administration of New York Governor Eliot Spitzer and Lt. Governor David Paterson.

In 2008, Markus took leaves of absence from the Judiciary to join Barack Obama's presidential campaign. During the primaries, Markus served as a voter protection counsel in Indiana and Pennsylvania. During the 2008 general election, Markus was appointed Deputy Director for Voter Protection in Pennsylvania, [12] where he helped protect voting rights and ensure the sufficiency and integrity of electronic voting machines.

Special Counsel to the Senate Majority

On March 9, 2009, the New York Senate announced Markus' appointment as Special Counsel to the Senate Majority, focusing on government operations and structure, cities and local governments, the Judiciary, the civil and criminal justice systems, and public integrity. [1] [13] [14] He served as lead staff litigator during the historic [2009 New York State Senate leadership crisis], and as leadership's lead legislative attorney for constitutional, Judiciary and government reform matters. He returned to the Judiciary at the end of the 2009-10 session.

Return to judicial service

Markus returned to the New York State Judiciary in early 2011, when he was named Deputy Counsel and cross-designated as Referee in Supreme Court, Ninth Judicial District. In this capacity, Markus presided over foreclosure conferences [15] and published several reported decisions. In 2013, Markus was appointed to preside in compliance conferences in Supreme Court's civil term, where he manages a docket of 400 civil actions.

Rabbinical study and clerical service

Markus was ordained as a rabbi by the seminary of ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal in January 2015 [16] after six years of study. [17] Markus also holds dual ordination as a spiritual director, also from ALEPH. [18] Markus serves as co-rabbi of Temple Beth-El of City Island in New York City, New York. Markus also was named a Fellow of Rabbis Without Borders. [19] From 2015-2017 he served [20] as Co-Chair of ALEPH, the umbrella organization for [Jewish Renewal]. [21] He serves as syndicated blogger for My Jewish Learning, The Wisdom Daily, and The Jewish Studio. Within the ALEPH Ordination Program, he serves as instructor in rabbinics and as a member of the hashpa'ah (spiritual direction) faculty.

Literary career

In 2008, Markus first published his works in Jewish haiku. His most popular haiku appear in weekly Facebook postings and, as of mid-2010, there are rumors of a forthcoming book. With a special Sukkot haiku (Bountiful harvest, / Internal tangles untied, / Now time to give thanks. Shabbes!) in 2010, Markus began publishing his haiku via Twitter, where he also created the hash tag #haikus4jews. Markus has also published a series of haiku relating to his political experiences.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jewish Renewal</span> Movement in Judaism

Jewish Renewal is a Jewish religious movement originating in the 20th century that endeavors to reinvigorate modern Judaism with Kabbalistic, Hasidic, and musical practices. Specifically, it seeks to reintroduce the "ancient Judaic traditions of mysticism and meditation, gender equality and ecstatic prayer" to synagogue services. It is distinct from the baal teshuva movement of return to Orthodox Judaism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Felix Frankfurter</span> US Supreme Court justice from 1939 to 1962

Felix Frankfurter was an Austrian-born American jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1939 until 1962, during which he was an advocate of judicial restraint.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arthur Waskow</span> American author, political activist, and rabbi

Arthur Ocean Waskow is an American author, political activist, and rabbi associated with the Jewish Renewal movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Chertoff</span> American government official (born 1953)

Michael Chertoff is an American attorney who was the second United States Secretary of Homeland Security to serve under President George W. Bush. Chertoff also served for one additional day under President Barack Obama. He was the co-author of the USA PATRIOT Act. Chertoff previously served as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, as a federal prosecutor, and as Assistant U.S. Attorney General. He succeeded Tom Ridge as U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security on February 15, 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elena Kagan</span> US Supreme Court justice since 2010 (born 1960)

Elena Kagan is an American lawyer who serves as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. She was appointed in 2010 by President Barack Obama and is the fourth woman to serve on the Court.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judith W. Rogers</span> American judge (born 1939)

Judith Ann Wilson Rogers is a senior United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Edelman</span> American lawyer (born 1938)

Peter Benjamin Edelman is an American legal scholar. He is a professor at the Georgetown University Law Center, specializing in the fields of poverty, welfare, juvenile justice, and constitutional law. He worked as an aide for Senator Robert F. Kennedy and in the Clinton Administration, where he resigned to protest Bill Clinton's signing the welfare reform legislation. Edelman was one of the founders and president of the board of the New Israel Fund.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Fois</span> American lawyer (born 1958)

Andrew Fois is an attorney who serves as the chair of the Administrative Conference of the United States since 2022. He served as the deputy attorney general for public safety in the Office of the Attorney General in Washington, D.C. from April 9, 2012, to March 2015. He was awarded the Edmund Randolph Award, the Justice Department's highest honor for distinguished service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nels Ackerson</span> American lawyer

Nels Ackerson is an American lawyer and head of the law firm that bears his name, based in Washington, D.C. He has represented clients in 46 states and 16 countries on issues involving property rights, constitutional rights, agriculture, eminent domain, commercial and financial disputes, public policy, and international disputes. His law practice has included individual cases, class actions, mediation, appellate advocacy in state and federal courts, regulatory disputes, testimony before congressional committees and state legislatures, and international arbitration. Ackerson has received Martindale-Hubbell's highest rating – AV Premier – for legal ability and ethics. He has been identified by his peers as a Super Lawyer and is listed in the American Registry, the Worldwide Registry, and Who's Who in the World. He is a member of the bar of the United States Supreme Court, numerous federal courts, the District of Columbia and his home state of Indiana. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the American Association for Justice, the International Society of Barristers, and other bar associations. His public positions have included Chief Counsel of the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on the Constitution, nominee for the U.S. Congress, and representing the United States on trade and advisory missions to the Middle East, Africa and Eastern Europe. He organized and managed the first American law office in Egypt, and was a founder and president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeremy Bash</span> American lawyer (born 1971)

Jeremy B. Bash is an American lawyer. He was the chief of staff at the Central Intelligence Agency (2009–2011) and the U.S. Department of Defense (2011–2013) under President Barack Obama. As a senior advisor to Leon Panetta in both roles, Bash worked on a number of key initiatives, including the creation of a new defense strategy, formation of two defense budgets, counterterrorism operations, a new cyber strategy, and a range of sensitive intelligence operations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patti B. Saris</span> American judge (born 1951)

Patti Barbara Saris is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. She is also the former chair of the United States Sentencing Commission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chai Feldblum</span> American legal scholar and human rights activist (born 1959)

Chai Rachel Feldblum is an American legal scholar and activist for disability and LGBT rights. A former law professor at Georgetown University Law Center, she served as Commissioner at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). She was nominated to the position by president Barack Obama in 2009. In April 2010, she received a recess appointment to the EEOC, and in December 2010 she was confirmed by the United States Senate. The Senate confirmed her in December 2013 for a second term on the Commission which expired in July 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amy Totenberg</span> American judge (born 1950)

Amy Mil Totenberg is a Senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. She previously worked in private practice in Atlanta and also formerly served as a Special master for the United States District Court for the District of Maryland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beryl Howell</span> American judge (born 1956)

Beryl Alaine Howell is an American lawyer and jurist who serves as a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. She was district's chief judge from 2016 to 2023. As chief judge, she supervised federal grand juries in the District, including for the Mueller special counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections and investigations into attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alison Nathan</span> American judge (born 1972)

Alison Julie Nathan is an American lawyer who has served as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit since 2022. She served as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York from 2011 to 2022. She previously served as associate White House counsel for President Barack Obama.

Michael J. Gerhardt is the Samuel Ashe Distinguished Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of North Carolina School of Law in Chapel Hill. He is also the director of the Center on Law and Government at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is an expert on constitutional law, separation of powers, and the legislative process. He is a Scholar in Residence at the National Constitution Center and visiting scholar at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. On December 2, 2019, it was announced that Gerhardt would testify before the House Judiciary Committee regarding the constitutional grounds for presidential impeachment in the impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steven Goldstein (activist)</span> American activist

Steven Goldstein is an American civil rights activist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Brand</span> American attorney (born 1973)

Rachel Lee Brand is an American lawyer, academic, and former government official. She served as the United States Associate Attorney General from May 22, 2017, until February 20, 2018, when she resigned to take a job as head of global corporate governance at Walmart. Brand was the first woman to serve as Associate Attorney General. She also served as Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Policy in the George W. Bush administration and was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board. Prior to becoming Associate Attorney General, Brand was an associate professor at Antonin Scalia Law School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Oldham</span> American judge (born 1978)

Andrew Stephen Oldham is a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and former General Counsel to Texas Governor Greg Abbott.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steven Menashi</span> American judge (born 1979)

Steven James Menashi is an American lawyer who serves as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Prior to his appointment to the court by President Donald Trump, he was an official in the Trump administration.

References

  1. 1 2 New York State Senate Majority, News Release, March 9, 2009 [ permanent dead link ]. Accessed March 12, 2009.
  2. ↑ Hanna J., "Public Service Innovators -- David Evan Markus (MPP/JD '01) Goes Gavel-to-Gavel," Kennedy School Bulletin, Summer 2001 Archived 2009-12-13 at the Wayback Machine . Accessed March 12, 2009.
  3. ↑ Rodman M., "Political Views," Harvard Law Bulletin, Fall 2001 . Accessed March 12, 2009.
  4. ↑ Ward, R., New York State Government: What It Does and How It Works, p. 585 & n. 18 (2006). .
  5. ↑ Katz, C. "Study: Cover Pols on Cable," New York Daily News, April 17, 2001. Accessed March 12, 2009.
  6. ↑ Maly, S., "Reality TV: The Real Thing," The Interim (Montana State Legislature), July 2001, pp. 17-24. Archived 2009-03-10 at the Wayback Machine Accessed March 12, 2009.
  7. ↑ Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government, Press Release, March 13, 2001 . Accessed March 12, 2009.
  8. ↑ Kennedy, R.F. & Cronin, J., The Riverkeepers, p. 219 (1997). ISBN   0684839083. . Accessed March 12, 2009.
  9. ↑ New York State Special Commission on the Future of the New York State Courts, . Accessed March 12, 2009.
  10. ↑ New York State Judiciary, Commission on the Future of Indigent Defense Services, "Report to the Chief Judge of the State of New York," December 1, 2005. Accessed March 12, 2009.
  11. ↑ Pace University, Dyson College of Arts and Sciences. Archived 2010-06-05 at the Wayback Machine Accessed March 12, 2009. Archived 2011-09-27 at the Wayback Machine Accessed March 12, 2009.
  12. ↑ "Asian Americans for Obama - Seattle". www.asianamericansforobama.com. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
  13. ↑ Benjamin, E., "Senate Dems Hire Ex-Chief Judge's Aide," New York Daily News, March 9, 2009, . Accessed March 12, 2009.
  14. ↑ Crain's New York, "At a Glance," March 10, 2009, . Accessed March 12, 2009.
  15. ↑ nycourts.gov http://nycourts.gov/courts/9jd/Foreclosure.shtml . Retrieved January 15, 2012.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)[ title missing ]
  16. ↑ "ALEPH Ordains Largest Class Ever," Kol ALEPH (Jan. 11, 2015).
  17. ↑ Schwartzapfel, "A Chance to Deepen Spiritual Experience," The Forward (Aug. 12, 2009).
  18. ↑ "New Hashpa'ah Ordinees," Kol ALEPH (Jan. 24, 2014).
  19. ↑ "Home". 26 December 2014.
  20. ↑ Passing the flame forward
  21. ↑ ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal, "ALEPH Board".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.