News & Commentary written by Patrick Toomey

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Patrick Toomey

Deputy Director

ÌÒ×ÓÊÓÆµNational Security Project

Bio

Patrick Toomey () is the deputy director of the ÌÒ×ÓÊÓÆµNational Security Project, where he works on issues related to privacy and surveillance, racial and ethnic discrimination, and the use of novel technologies like artificial intelligence. His litigation and advocacy often focus on national security prosecutions or policies where these issues intersect. Patrick has litigated high-profile cases challenging sweeping surveillance programs operated by U.S. intelligence agencies, and has represented Asian American scientists who have been wrongly investigated and prosecuted by the U.S. government. Patrick's writing and commentary on national security and civil liberties issues appear regularly in the media. Patrick is a graduate of Harvard College and Yale Law School. After graduating from law school, he served as a law clerk to the Hon. Nancy Gertner, United States district judge for the District of Massachusetts, and to the Hon. Barrington D. Parker, United States circuit judge for the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. Prior to joining the ACLU, Patrick worked on criminal defense, regulatory defense, and intellectual property matters at a law firm in New York.


Featured work

Sep 24, 2018

What a European Court Ruling Means for Mass Spying Around the World

What a European Court Ruling Means for Mass Spying Around the World

Aug 22, 2018

The NSA Continues to Violate Americans' Internet Privacy Rights

The NSA Continues to Violate Americans' Internet Privacy Rights

Jun 29, 2018

The NSA Is Using Secrecy to Avoid a Courtroom Reckoning on Its Global Surveillance Dragnet

The NSA Is Using Secrecy to Avoid a Courtroom Reckoning on Its Global Surveillance Dragnet

May 15, 2017

We’re Demanding Records on Comey’s Dismissal. Here’s Why.

We’re Demanding Records on Comey’s Dismissal. Here’s Why.

Mar 5, 2017

Trump's Wiretapping Accusations: Here's What the Government Can Actually Do

Trump's Wiretapping Accusations: Here's What the Government Can Actually Do

Feb 10, 2017

The ÌÒ×ÓÊÓÆµIs in Dublin, Ireland, Today Defending the Right to Privacy for Europeans and Americans Alike

The ÌÒ×ÓÊÓÆµIs in Dublin, Ireland, Today Defending the Right to Privacy for Europeans and Americans Alike

Nov 21, 2016

President Obama Will Soon Turn Over the Keys to the Surveillance State to President-Elect Trump

President Obama Will Soon Turn Over the Keys to the Surveillance State to President-Elect Trump

Oct 19, 2016

The Constitution Leaves No Room for Secret Law

The Constitution Leaves No Room for Secret Law

Sep 23, 2016

Unprecedented and Unlawful: The NSA’s 'Upstream' Surveillance

Unprecedented and Unlawful: The NSA’s 'Upstream' Surveillance

Apr 7, 2016

The Obama Administration Has Embraced Legal Theories Even Broader Than John Yoo’s

The Obama Administration Has Embraced Legal Theories Even Broader Than John Yoo’s