Bio
Patrick Toomey (@PatrickCToomey) is the deputy director of the ACLU National 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
May 7, 2015
Why Today’s Landmark Court Victory Against Mass Surveillance Matters
Mar 10, 2015
The NSA Has Taken Over the Internet Backbone. We're Suing to Get it Back.
Jan 16, 2015
DEA Discloses Bulk Surveillance of Americans’ International Phone Calls
Jun 10, 2014
Too Big To Comply? NSA Says It’s Too Large, Complex to Comply With Court Order
May 28, 2014
Getting the Innocent out of the NSA’s Shadow Database
Feb 5, 2014
Who Did the NSA's Illegal Spying Put in Jail?
Jan 29, 2014
NSA Spy Target Challenges Warrantless Wiretapping Law