James Goodale
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James C. Goodale (born July 27, 1933) was the vice president and general counsel for ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' and, later, the ''Times' '' vice chairman. He is the author of ''Fighting for the Press: the Inside Story of the Pentagon Papers and Other Battles''.< The book was named twice as the best non-fiction book of 2013 by
Alan Rusbridger Alan Charles Rusbridger (born 29 December 1953) is a British journalist, who was formerly editor-in-chief of ''The Guardian'' and then principal of Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. Rusbridger became editor-in-chief of ''The Guardian'' in 1995, hav ...
, editor in chief of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'', and Alan Clanton, editor of the online ''Thursday Review''. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit cited "Fighting for the Press" in its decision May 7, 2015, limiting the controversial National Security Agency (NSA) domestic phone monitoring program. He represented the ''Times'' in four of its
United States Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
cases, including '' Branzburg v. Hayes'' in which the ''Times'' intervened on behalf of its reporter
Earl Caldwell Earl Welton "Teach" Caldwell (April 9, 1905 – September 15, 1981) was an American professional baseball pitcher whose career saw him win more than 330 games over 29 seasons, 1926 to 1954, including 33 victories in Major League Baseball (MLB) a ...
. The other cases were '' New York Times v. Sullivan'', ''
New York Times Co. v. United States ''New York Times Co. v. United States'', 403 U.S. 713 (1971), was a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of the United States on the First Amendment right of Freedom of the Press. The ruling made it possible for ''The New York Times'' and ''The ...
'' (the
Pentagon Papers The ''Pentagon Papers'', officially titled ''Report of the Office of the Secretary of Defense Vietnam Task Force'', is a United States Department of Defense history of the United States in the Vietnam War, United States' political and military ...
case), and ''
New York Times Co. v. Tasini ''New York Times Co. v. Tasini'', 533 U.S. 483 (2001), is a leading decision by the United States Supreme Court on the issue of copyright in the contents of a newspaper database. It held that ''The New York Times'', in licensing back issues of the ...
''. He was the leading force behind the ''Times decision to publish the Pentagon Papers in 1971. After the ''Times' '' outside counsel,
Lord Day & Lord Lord Day & Lord was an American large, blue-chip New York City law firm. It was established in 1845 by Daniel Lord, his son Daniel DeForest Lord, and his son-in-law Henry Day. History The firm had retained the same name until 1988 when it merg ...
, advised the ''Times'' against publishing
classified information Classified information is material that a government body deems to be sensitive information that must be protected. Access is restricted by law or regulation to particular groups of people with the necessary security clearance and need to know, ...
and quit when the United States Justice Department threatened to sue the paper to stop publication, Goodale led his own legal team and directed the strategy that resulted in winning the Supreme Court case of
New York Times Co. v. United States ''New York Times Co. v. United States'', 403 U.S. 713 (1971), was a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of the United States on the First Amendment right of Freedom of the Press. The ruling made it possible for ''The New York Times'' and ''The ...
. He has been called "the father of the
reporter's privilege Reporter's privilege in the United States (also journalist's privilege, newsman's privilege, or press privilege), is a "reporter's protection under constitutional or statutory law, from being compelled to testify about confidential information or s ...
" because of his interpretation of the ''Branzburg'' case in the ''
Hastings Law Journal Hastings Law Journal is the oldest law journal at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. It began in 1949 in San Francisco, California. As of 1997, it is under the umbrella of the O'Brien Center for Scholarly Publications. Th ...
''. This led to the establishment of a reporter's privilege to protect sources in most states and federal circuits. Goodale created the specialty of
First Amendment First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
law among commercial lawyers. From 1972 to 2007, he established and chaired an annual Communications Law Seminar at the
Practising Law Institute Practising Law Institute (PLI) is a non-profit continuing legal education (CLE) organization chartered by the Regents of the University of the State of New York. Founded in 1933, the company organizes and provides CLE programs around the world. It ...
br>which through 2022 had over 25,000 attendees
This led to the creation of a First Amendment Bar.He continues to serve as the seminar's chairman emeritus.
After he left ''The New York Times'' in 1980, he joined the law firm of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
.There he founded a corporate group and litigation group dealing with media, intellectual property, communications and the First Amendment
These groups have represented many well-known U.S. communication entities including the ''New York Times'',
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
, and
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. He served a
chairman of the board
for th
Committee to Protect Journalists
from 1989 - 1994. During his tenure he built CPJ into a significant international force, instrumental in the release of imprisoned journalists around the globe. From 1995 to 2010

for ''Digital Age'' (formerly known as "Telecommunications and the Information Revolution") on
WNYE-TV WNYE-TV (channel 25) is a Non-commercial educational station, non-commercial Independent station (North America), independent television station in New York City. The station is operated by NYC Media, a division of the Mayor's Office of Media and ...
, a TV show about the effect of the internet on media and society. Since 1977 he has taught First Amendment and Communications law at Yale, New York University an
Fordham law schools
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an

'
Columbia Journalism Review The ''Columbia Journalism Review'' (''CJR'') is a biannual magazine for professional journalists that has been published by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism since 1961. Its contents include news and media industry trends, ana ...
'' has listed James Goodale as one of 200 who shaped New York Media. He was named by ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' magazine in 1974 as one of the rising leaders in the United States along with Joe Biden. Goodale was the recipient of the "Champion of the First Amendment Award," from the
American Bar Association The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. Founded in 1878, the ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of acad ...
Forum in February 2014. He was recipient of the
George H.W. Bush '48 Lifetime of Leadership Award,"
Yale University, 2015. On May 5, 2015,
PEN America PEN America (formerly PEN American Center), founded in 1922 and headquartered in New York City, is a nonprofit organization that works to defend and celebrate free expression in the United States and worldwide through the advancement of litera ...
br>awarded_the_2015_PEN/Toni_and_James_C._Goodale_Freedom_of_Expression_Courage_Award_to_the_French_satirical_weekly,_ awarded_the_2015_PEN/Toni_and_James_C._Goodale_Freedom_of_Expression_Courage_Award_to_the_French_satirical_weekly,_Charlie_Hebdo
">Charlie_Hebdo">awarded_the_2015_PEN/Toni_and_James_C._Goodale_Freedom_of_Expression_Courage_Award_to_the_French_satirical_weekly,_Charlie_Hebdo
_Many_of_that_magazines'_editors_had_been_killed_in_a_homegrown_jihadist_terrorist_Charlie_Hebdo#2015_attack.html" ;"title="Charlie_Hebdo
.html" ;"title="Charlie Hebdo">awarded the 2015 PEN/Toni and James C. Goodale Freedom of Expression Courage Award to the French satirical weekly, Charlie Hebdo
">Charlie Hebdo">awarded the 2015 PEN/Toni and James C. Goodale Freedom of Expression Courage Award to the French satirical weekly, Charlie Hebdo
Many of that magazines' editors had been killed in a homegrown jihadist terrorist Charlie Hebdo#2015 attack">attack. The award caused an international controversy as to whether it should have been given to Charlie Hebdo. Over 200 writers signed a protest against the award and many withdrew from the PEN dinner at which the award was given. In reply to attack on the award given by him and his wife, Goodale said, "the award is not for what is said. It's for the right to say it. In this case, journalists got killed for what they said. They should be honored, and my wife and I are extremely proud to do that."


Education and early career

Goodale was born July 27, 1933, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His mother, a college professor, was the daughter of the Shakespearean scholar Oscar James Campbell Jr., who wrote ''The Readers Encyclopedia of Shakespeare''. Goodale graduated from the Pomfret School and
Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
in 1955, which he attended on the William Brinckerhoff Jackson Scholarship and was a member of Elihu. At Yale, he played on the baseball and hockey teams. He received his
Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...
from the
University of Chicago Law School The University of Chicago Law School is the law school of the University of Chicago, a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. It is consistently ranked among the best and most prestigious law schools in the world, and has many dist ...
in 1958, which he attended on a National Honor Scholarship. From 1959 to 1963, he worked for the Wall Street law firm of
Lord Day & Lord Lord Day & Lord was an American large, blue-chip New York City law firm. It was established in 1845 by Daniel Lord, his son Daniel DeForest Lord, and his son-in-law Henry Day. History The firm had retained the same name until 1988 when it merg ...
. That firm was also the long time outside counsel of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
''. During this time, he also served for six years in the
Army Reserve A military reserve force is a military organization whose members have military and civilian occupations. They are not normally kept under arms, and their main role is to be available when their military requires additional manpower. Reserve ...
as a strategic and intelligence research analyst, which influenced his views on overclassification and convinced him it was not a crime to publish
classified information Classified information is material that a government body deems to be sensitive information that must be protected. Access is restricted by law or regulation to particular groups of people with the necessary security clearance and need to know, ...
.


The New York Times

At age 29, Goodale set up the legal department at ''The New York Times'' and subsequently became its first General Attorney in 1963. In 1964, the Supreme Court decided '' New York Times v. Sullivan'' 9–0 in favor of the ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'', overturning a
libel Defamation is the act of communicating to a third party false statements about a person, place or thing that results in damage to its reputation. It can be spoken (slander) or written (libel). It constitutes a tort or a crime. The legal defini ...
conviction and establishing the modern rules for libel for
public figures A public figure is a person who has achieved notoriety, prominence or fame within a society, whether through achievement, luck, action, or in some cases through no purposeful action of their own, In the context of defamation actions (libel and s ...
. In 1967, Goodale spearheaded the financial reorganization of the ''Times''. He advised the ''Times' ''publisher
Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Sr. (February 5, 1926 – September 29, 2012) was an American publisher and a businessman. Born into a prominent media and publishing family, Sulzberger became publisher of ''The New York Times'' in 1963 and chairman of t ...
to purchase
Cowles Communications Cowles Media Company ( ) (1935–1998) was a newspaper, magazine and information publishing company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the United States. The company operated Cowles Business Media, Cowles Creative Publishing, and Cowles Ent ...
, a transaction that helped the Times regain profitability. He also conceived and implemented the stock structure which was used to bring the New York Times public, a structure that was later copied by ''The Washington Post'' and other media companies.


Pentagon Papers

In March 1971, former Defense Department employee
Daniel Ellsberg Daniel Ellsberg (born April 7, 1931) is an American political activist, and former United States military analyst. While employed by the RAND Corporation, Ellsberg precipitated a national political controversy in 1971 when he released the ''Pent ...
leaked the
Pentagon Papers The ''Pentagon Papers'', officially titled ''Report of the Office of the Secretary of Defense Vietnam Task Force'', is a United States Department of Defense history of the United States in the Vietnam War, United States' political and military ...
to ''New York Times'' reporter
Neil Sheehan Cornelius Mahoney Sheehan (October 27, 1936 – January 7, 2021) was an American journalist. As a reporter for ''The New York Times'' in 1971, Sheehan obtained the classified '' Pentagon Papers'' from Daniel Ellsberg. His series of articles rev ...
. Executives at the ''Times'' argued for three months about whether to publish them or not. Harding Bancroft, the Senior Vice President, Sidney Gruson, Assistant to the Publisher, and the ''Times' ''outside counsel,
Lord Day & Lord Lord Day & Lord was an American large, blue-chip New York City law firm. It was established in 1845 by Daniel Lord, his son Daniel DeForest Lord, and his son-in-law Henry Day. History The firm had retained the same name until 1988 when it merg ...
, advised the ''Times'' not to publish. Goodale successfully convinced publisher
Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Sr. (February 5, 1926 – September 29, 2012) was an American publisher and a businessman. Born into a prominent media and publishing family, Sulzberger became publisher of ''The New York Times'' in 1963 and chairman of t ...
that the
First Amendment First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
protected the
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
from prosecution for publishing classified information. On June 13, 1971, the ''Times'' printed its first articles and documents of the
Pentagon Papers The ''Pentagon Papers'', officially titled ''Report of the Office of the Secretary of Defense Vietnam Task Force'', is a United States Department of Defense history of the United States in the Vietnam War, United States' political and military ...
. When Attorney General John Mitchell indicated the
Justice Department A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...
would sue the New York Times to stop any further publication, Lord Day & Lord refused to represent it and quit the night before the first court hearing.David Rudenstine, ''The Day the Presses Stopped,'' (1996) Goodale, along with the law firm of
Cahill Gordon & Reindel Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP (founded 1919) is a New York-based international law firm with offices in New York, Washington, D.C. and London. The firm is prominent in the practice areas of capital markets and banking & finance. History Cahil ...
and Yale Law School professor
Alexander Bickel Alexander Mordecai Bickel (1924–1974) was an American legal scholar and expert on the United States Constitution. One of the most influential constitutional commentators of the twentieth century, his writings emphasize judicial restraint. Life ...
, defended the Times in court. Goodale was the first to develop the now widely accepted arguments that the
Espionage Act The Espionage Act of 1917 is a United States federal law enacted on June 15, 1917, shortly after the United States entered World War I. It has been amended numerous times over the years. It was originally found in Title 50 of the U.S. Code (War ...
should not apply to publishers or the press. These arguments were later adopted after the Pentagon Papers trial by District Court Judge
Murray Gurfein Murray Irwin Gurfein (November 17, 1907 – December 16, 1979) was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and prior to that a United States District Judge of the United States District Court fo ...
.Sanford Ungar, ''The Papers and the Papers,'' (1972) After his decision, the Justice Department dropped the
Espionage Act The Espionage Act of 1917 is a United States federal law enacted on June 15, 1917, shortly after the United States entered World War I. It has been amended numerous times over the years. It was originally found in Title 50 of the U.S. Code (War ...
argument from the case. In a 6–3 decision, the Supreme Court ruled the US government could not stop the ''Times'' from publishing the Pentagon Papers, holding that prior restraints were barred by the First Amendment unless the publication "will surely result in direct, immediate, and irreparable damage to our Nation or its people."


Reporter's privilege

In January 1970, as part of a wave of subpoenas issued to national reporters, New York Times reporter Earl Caldwell was subpoenaed by the US Justice Department. Media organizations such as ''
Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...
'', ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'', and ''
Life Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energ ...
'' magazines complied with their
subpoena A subpoena (; also subpœna, supenna or subpena) or witness summons is a writ issued by a government agency, most often a court, to compel testimony by a witness or production of evidence under a penalty for failure. There are two common types of ...
s,Henry Raymont, "Magazines' Files Under Subpoena, New York Times, February 1, 1970 but Goodale caused the New York Times and Caldwell to challenge Caldwell's subpoena. Caldwell and the Times argued in court he did not have to answer questions from a grand jury about the identity of his sources because, as a member of the press, he was protected by the First Amendment. Caldwell and the New York Times won in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, thereby establishing
reporter's privilege Reporter's privilege in the United States (also journalist's privilege, newsman's privilege, or press privilege), is a "reporter's protection under constitutional or statutory law, from being compelled to testify about confidential information or s ...
for the first time in any court. In 1972, ''Caldwell v. United States'' was merged with two other similar cases at the Supreme Court and became known as '' Branzburg v. Hayes''. Goodale crafted the media's strategy at the Supreme Court level. In a 5–4 decision, the Supreme Court overturned Caldwell's case and held reporters, in the circumstances of the case, do not have a First Amendment right to protect their sources and defy a subpoena. Justice Powell's concurrence with the majority was the swing vote. Goodale subsequently wrote an article for the ''
Hastings Law Journal Hastings Law Journal is the oldest law journal at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. It began in 1949 in San Francisco, California. As of 1997, it is under the umbrella of the O'Brien Center for Scholarly Publications. Th ...
'' in which he argued that Justice Powell's concurrence with the majority actually argued for a qualified reporter's privilege, "though, on its face, their ruling said just the opposite." He argued the Court's ruling was narrow and so the reporter's privilege should be judged on a case-by-case basis."Branzburg v. Hayes and the Developing Qualified Privilege for Newsmen," 26 Hastings Law Journal 709, 1975 Using his article as a basis for protecting reporters' sources, he persuaded other media companies, such as ''Time'', NBC, CBS, and ''The Washington Post'' to refuse to comply with government subpoenas. He argued using the power of contempt to resist requests for sources would cause state and federal courts, as well as state legislatures, to recognize a qualified reporters' privilege. This strategy succeeded, as over 1000 reporters privilege cases have been brought before state and federal court since his ''Hastings Law Review'' article, while only two or three were brought before. As of 2013, thirty nine states and the
District of Columbia ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
have some form of a reporter's
shield law A shield is a piece of personal armour held in the hand, which may or may not be strapped to the wrist or forearm. Shields are used to intercept specific attacks, whether from melee weapon, close-ranged weaponry or projectiles such as arrows, ...
, ten other states have a common law privilege, and most federal circuits recognize a
reporter's privilege Reporter's privilege in the United States (also journalist's privilege, newsman's privilege, or press privilege), is a "reporter's protection under constitutional or statutory law, from being compelled to testify about confidential information or s ...
as well—many using the language proposed in Goodale's law review article. Goodale's interpretation of Powell's concurrence was confirmed in 2007, when notes of Powell's were discovered saying reporter's privilege cases should be decided on a case-by-case basis. In October 1973, Vice President Spiro Agnew subpoenaed reporters for the ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' and ''
Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' for its sources on a story detailing the confidential criminal investigation into Agnew's dealings when he was Governor of
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
. Instead of complying with the subpoenas, Goodale devised a strategy whereby the reporters' notes would be given to New York Times publisher A.O. Sulzberger and Washington Post owner
Katharine Graham Katharine Meyer Graham (June 16, 1917 – July 17, 2001) was an American newspaper publisher. She led her family's newspaper, ''The Washington Post'', from 1963 to 1991. Graham presided over the paper as it reported on the Watergate scandal, whi ...
and they would refuse to hand them over to the court. If Agnew wanted the reporters' notes, the judge would have to send the owners of the two biggest newspapers in the country to jail. Agnew's subpoenas were dropped after he resigned the Vice Presidency the following month.Martin Arnold, "Resignation Ends a Court Test on Disclosure of News Sources," New York Times, October 12, 1973. In 1978, New York Times reporter Myron Farber was subpoenaed by a New Jersey state court in the murder trial of Dr. Mario Jascalevich and refused to testify on the advice of Goodale. He subsequently caused Farber and the Times to go into contempt of court. Farber spent 40 days in jail and the New York Times was fined a total of $101,000 dollars. The Governor later returned the fines and New Jersey passed a state law providing reporters a qualified privilege in response to the case. Because of his work at the New York Times, his law review article and subsequent media law seminars, Goodale has been called the "father of reporter's privilege."


Post-New York Times career

Goodale joined Debevoise & Plimpton in 1980, bringing ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' as a client with him. He established two practice groups, one for the representation of media companies, particularly new media companies such as cable television, the other for
First Amendment First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
and
intellectual property Intellectual property (IP) is a category of property that includes intangible creations of the human intellect. There are many types of intellectual property, and some countries recognize more than others. The best-known types are patents, cop ...
litigation. At Debevoise, he or his groups have represented
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
, the
Hearst Corporation Hearst Communications, Inc., often referred to simply as Hearst, is an American multinational mass media and business information conglomerate based in Hearst Tower in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Hearst owns newspapers, magazines, televis ...
,
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
,
Cablevision Cablevision Systems Corporation was an American cable television company with systems serving areas surrounding New York City. It was the fifth-largest cable provider and ninth-largest television provider in the United States. Throughout its ex ...
, the
New York Observer New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
,
Paris Review ''The Paris Review'' is a quarterly English-language literary magazine established in Paris in 1953 by Harold L. Humes, Peter Matthiessen, and George Plimpton. In its first five years, ''The Paris Review'' published works by Jack Kerouac, Phil ...
,
Infinity Broadcasting Infinity Broadcasting Corporation was a radio company that existed from 1972 until 2005. It was founded by Michael A. Wiener and Gerald Carrus. It became associated with popular radio personalities like Howard Stern, Opie and Anthony, Don Imus ...
, the NFL,
NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
, and
NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
. He has personally represented
George Plimpton George Ames Plimpton (March 18, 1927 – September 25, 2003) was an American writer. He is widely known for his sports writing and for helping to found ''The Paris Review'', as well as his patrician demeanor and accent. He was also known for " ...
, Harry Evans,
Tina Brown Christina Hambley Brown, Lady Evans (born 21 November 1953), is an English journalist, magazine editor, columnist, talk-show host, and author of ''The Diana Chronicles'' (2007) a biography of Diana, Princess of Wales, '' The Vanity Fair Diarie ...
,
Margaret Truman Mary Margaret Truman Daniel (February 17, 1924 – January 29, 2008) was an American classical soprano, actress, journalist, radio and television personality, writer, and New York socialite. She was the only child of President Harry S. Truman a ...
, and former New York City Mayor
John Lindsay John Vliet Lindsay (; November 24, 1921 – December 19, 2000) was an American politician and lawyer. During his political career, Lindsay was a U.S. congressman, mayor of New York City, and candidate for U.S. president. He was also a regular ...
. In 2001, Debevoise & Plimpton represented ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' in the Supreme Court case of ''
New York Times Co. v. Tasini ''New York Times Co. v. Tasini'', 533 U.S. 483 (2001), is a leading decision by the United States Supreme Court on the issue of copyright in the contents of a newspaper database. It held that ''The New York Times'', in licensing back issues of the ...
''. This was the fourth case in which Goodale represented ''The New York Times'' at the Supreme Court. As counsel to
George Plimpton George Ames Plimpton (March 18, 1927 – September 25, 2003) was an American writer. He is widely known for his sports writing and for helping to found ''The Paris Review'', as well as his patrician demeanor and accent. He was also known for " ...
, Goodale convinced Plimpton to turn
The Paris Review ''The Paris Review'' is a quarterly English-language literary magazine established in Paris in 1953 by Harold L. Humes, Peter Matthiessen, and George Plimpton. In its first five years, ''The Paris Review'' published works by Jack Kerouac, Philip ...
into a
non-profit foundation A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
. Over the initial rejections of Plimpton, Goodale's decision to make the literary magazine a non-profit foundation ensured ''The Paris Review'' would survive beyond Plimpton's 2003 death.''George, Being George: George Plimpton's Life'', Nelson W. Aldrich, (2008) Plimpton had been the magazine's editor and part owner since 1953. Under the new management of the foundation, of which Goodale was the leading director, the circulation grew from 4,500 to over 30,000, an unusually high number for a literary magazine. Goodale also assisted in the creation of ''
The New York Observer ''The New York Observer'' was a weekly newspaper printed from 1987 to 2016, when it ceased print publication and became the online-only newspaper ''Observer''. The media site focuses on culture, real estate, media, politics and the entertainmen ...
'', which was founded by
Arthur L. Carter Arthur L. Carter (born December 24, 1931) is an American investment banker, publisher, and artist. Biography Born to a American Jews, Jewish family, Carter graduated from Brown University in 1953 with a degree in French literature. He served i ...
. Goodale also arranged for Carter to purchase
The Nation ''The Nation'' is an American liberal biweekly magazine that covers political and cultural news, opinion, and analysis. It was founded on July 6, 1865, as a successor to William Lloyd Garrison's '' The Liberator'', an abolitionist newspaper tha ...
magazine from
Victor Navasky Victor Saul Navasky (born July 5, 1932) is an American journalist, editor and academic. He is publisher emeritus of ''The Nation'' and George T. Delacorte Professor Emeritus of Professional Practice in Magazine Journalism at Columbia University. H ...
, which was, in turn, re-purchased by Navasky.


Books

On April 30, 2013, Goodale's book ''Fighting for the Press: the Inside Story of the Pentagon Papers and Other Battles'' was published b
CUNY Journalism Press
In this book, Goodale analyzes the importance of the Pentagon Papers case and also chronicles significant events in the history of
freedom of the press Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the fundamental principle that communication and expression through various media, including printed and electronic News media, media, especially publication, published materials, should be conside ...
in the United States from 1968 to the date of publication (2013). ''The New York Times'', and the ''New York Review of Books'' reviewed the book favorably. The book received positive reviews from numerous other sources. The ''Times'' said
Goodale, though, had a unique vantage point, and gives a deeply informed, even gossipy firsthand look at the legal strategy as well as conflicts between editorial and business interests inside the offices of the ''Times''. He anticipated that the newspaper's white-shoe law firm -- it had the prayful name of Lord, Day & Lord -- would oppose publication, citing the Espionage Act. Its refusal to stand by the newspaper was a decision that will live in legal infamy. The Pentagon Papers case gets the most attention here, but Goodale doesn't neglect other, still unsettled First Amendment fights concerning the protection of a reporter's notes and sources.
The timing of the book proved to be fortuitous and prescient. Thirteen days after publication (May 13, 2013) it was reported that the government had obtained a secret warrant to search the
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
's (AP) records for the source of leaks about an alleged act of terrorism. Six days later (May 19)
Fox News The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owne ...
reporter James Rosen was named as a co-conspirator in an application for a
search warrant A search warrant is a court order that a magistrate or judge issues to authorize law enforcement officers to conduct a search of a person, location, or vehicle for evidence of a crime and to confiscate any evidence they find. In most countries, ...
for the records of Stephen Jin-Woo Kim, a source of Rosen's story about
espionage Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tangibl ...
in
North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...
. On June 9, 2013, ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' and ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' published
Edward Snowden Edward Joseph Snowden (born June 21, 1983) is an American and naturalized Russian former computer intelligence consultant who leaked highly classified information from the National Security Agency (NSA) in 2013, when he was an employee and su ...
's leaks of a
National Security Administration The National Security Agency (NSA) is a national-level intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense, under the authority of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The NSA is responsible for global monitoring, collectio ...
program to monitor the phone calls of U.S. citizens. Since Goodale had predicted in his book that President
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
would attempt to criminalize the newsgathering process, and because the Snowden leak was generally analogous to the leak of the Pentagon Papers, Goodale was swept up into the controversy involving these matters. His defense of the press in the AP and Rosen cases and ''the Washington Post'' and ''The Guardian'' in the publication of Snowden's leaks attracted national attention.


Other Books

Goodale is the author of ''The New York Times Company v. United States'', a collection of the legal papers in the Pentagon Papers case which he assembled immediately following the decision in that case. It was published by Arno Press in 1971. He also wrote ''All About Cable'' (Law Journal Press, New York, 1981). At the time cable was considered
new media New media describes communication technologies that enable or enhance interaction between users as well as interaction between users and content. In the middle of the 1990s, the phrase "new media" became widely used as part of a sales pitch for ...
, and Goodale outlined the legal problems past, present and future facing
cable television Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with broa ...
, including those concerning the First Amendment. The book has been cited twice by the
United States Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
.Denver Area Educational Telecommunications Consortium, Inc. v. F.C.C., 518 U.S. 727 (1996); Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. v. F.C.C., 512 U.S. 622 (1994)


Television and print

From 1995 to 2010, he hosted and produced episodes of "Digital Age," a television program on media and society, which aired on WNYE-TV, initially a PBS station, broadcast in 10 million homes in the New York metropolitan area. From 1995 to 1999 the program was called "Telecommunications and the Information Revolution". His guests included
Ben Bradlee Benjamin Crowninshield Bradlee (, 1921 – , 2014) was an American journalist who served as managing editor, then as executive editor of ''The Washington Post'', from 1965 to 1991. He became a public figure when the ''Post'' joined ''The New Y ...
, Arthur O. Sulzberger Jr.,
Walter Cronkite Walter Leland Cronkite Jr. (November 4, 1916 – July 17, 2009) was an American broadcast journalist who served as anchorman for the ''CBS Evening News'' for 19 years (1962–1981). During the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the mo ...
,
Tom Brokaw Thomas John Brokaw (; born February 6, 1940) is an American retired network television journalist and author. He first served as the co-anchor of ''The Today Show'' from 1976 to 1981 with Jane Pauley, then as the anchor and managing editor of '' ...
, Arthur Schlesinger,
Henry Kissinger Henry Alfred Kissinger (; ; born Heinz Alfred Kissinger, May 27, 1923) is a German-born American politician, diplomat, and geopolitical consultant who served as United States Secretary of State and National Security Advisor under the presid ...
,
Dan Rather Daniel Irvin Rather Jr. (; born October 31, 1931) is an American journalist, commentator, and former national evening news anchor. Rather began his career in Texas, becoming a national name after his reporting saved thousands of lives during Hurr ...
,
Chuck Schumer Charles Ellis Schumer ( ; born November 23, 1950) is an American politician serving as Senate Majority Leader since January 20, 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, Schumer is in his fourth Senate term, having held his seat since 1999, and ...
, and
Michael Bloomberg Michael Rubens Bloomberg (born February 14, 1942) is an American businessman, politician, philanthropist, and author. He is the majority owner, co-founder and CEO of Bloomberg L.P. He was Mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013, and was a ca ...
. He conceived, with
Fred Friendly Fred W. Friendly (born Ferdinand Friendly Wachenheimer, October 30, 1915 – March 3, 1998) was a president of CBS News and the creator, along with Edward R. Murrow, of the documentary television program '' See It Now''. He originated the concep ...
,
Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
's media and society seminars. The program aired on
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
television as the "Fred Friendly Seminars." From 1977 to 2010, he wrote a column in the New York Law Journal on "Communications and Media Law."
He has written over 200 articles which have been published in The Stanford and Hastings Law Reviews, The New York Times, The New York Review of Books (cover piece), The Nation, The New York Observer, The National Law Journal, The Daily Beast, The Guardian, Harper's Magazine, Columbia Journalism Review, The Nieman Report and The Hill, for which he is an opinion columnist
He has appeared on ''News War'', the award-winning PBS series ''
Frontline Front line refers to the forward-most forces on a battlefield. Front line, front lines or variants may also refer to: Books and publications * ''Front Lines'' (novel), young adult historical novel by American author Michael Grant * ''Frontlines ...
'', and the documentary ''The Most Dangerous Man in the America – Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers'', which was nominated for an Academy Award in 2009.


Teaching

Goodale has taught at
Yale Law School Yale Law School (Yale Law or YLS) is the law school of Yale University, a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was established in 1824 and has been ranked as the best law school in the United States by ''U ...
from 1977 to 1980,
New York University School of Law New York University School of Law (NYU Law) is the law school of New York University, a private research university in New York City. Established in 1835, it is the oldest law school in New York City and the oldest surviving law school in New ...
from 1983 to 1986 and
Fordham Law School Fordham University School of Law is the law school of Fordham University. The school is located in Manhattan in New York City, and is one of eight ABA-approved law schools in that city. In 2013, 91% of the law school's first-time test tak ...
from 1986–present. He founded the Communications Law Seminar at the
Practising Law Institute Practising Law Institute (PLI) is a non-profit continuing legal education (CLE) organization chartered by the Regents of the University of the State of New York. Founded in 1933, the company organizes and provides CLE programs around the world. It ...
for media lawyers, which effectively formed the first media and First Amendment bar association for lawyers representing media companies. He chaired the Seminar from 1972 until its 35th anniversary in 2007. It is one of the largest legal seminars in the U.S. With Yale and
The Ford Foundation The Ford Foundation is an American private foundation with the stated goal of advancing human welfare. Created in 1936 by Edsel Ford and his father Henry Ford, it was originally funded by a US$25,000 gift from Edsel Ford. By 1947, after the death ...
, he started in 1976 the Master of Studies in Law and Journalism Program (technically known as the Masters Study in Law) for journalists to specialize in law for one year at Yale Law School. Linda Greenhouse, the noted ''Times'' Supreme Court reporter, is a graduate of this program. He raised the lion's share of money for th
endowed chair at Yale Law School in memory of Alexander Bickel
the constitutional scholar who participated in the Pentagon Papers case, 1971, and Goodale simultaneously created scholarships at Yale Law School for four journalists annually.


Politics

Goodale is a lifelong
Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...
. He chaired the New York Lawyers Committee for the former Governor of Massachusetts
Michael Dukakis Michael Stanley Dukakis (; born November 3, 1933) is an American retired lawyer and politician who served as governor of Massachusetts from 1975 to 1979 and again from 1983 to 1991. He is the longest-serving governor in Massachusetts history a ...
, when Dukakis was the Democratic nominee for president in 1988. He was also a member of the Rules Committee of the 1988 Democratic National Convention. In 1976, he was appointed by Governor
Hugh Carey Hugh Leo Carey (April 11, 1919 – August 7, 2011) was an American politician and attorney. He was a seven-term U.S. representative from 1961 to 1974 and the 51st governor of New York from 1975 to 1982. He was a member of the Democratic Party. ...
to the New York State Privacy & Security Committee and in 1988 was appointed by Chief Judge, Sol Wachtler to the New York State Judicial Committee for Minorities where he became chairman in 1991.


Boards

From 1989 to 2014, Goodale was a board member of the
Committee to Protect Journalists The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is an American independent non-profit, non-governmental organization, based in New York City, New York, with correspondents around the world. CPJ promotes press freedom and defends the rights of journa ...

He served as the board's Chairman from 1989 to 1994
where he raised CPJ's profile internationally and significantly increased its budget. His first year as chairman, CPJ had a budget of $300,000 and no endowment. By 2022 it had a budget of more than $12 million with a $15 million endowment. Goodale has also served on the boards of
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
, New York Times Foundation,
New York Observer New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
,
Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human r ...
, Media Law Reporter, Paris Review Foundation, and the International Center for Journalists.


Controversy

In 2005, Goodale criticized ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' editor
Norman Pearlstine Norman Pearlstine (born October 4, 1942) is an American editor and media executive. He previously held senior positions at the ''Los Angeles Times'', Time Inc, Bloomberg L.P., ''Forbes'' and ''The Wall Street Journal''. Early life and education ...
's decision to turn over reporter Matthew Cooper's notes to the grand jury investigating the leak of CIA operative
Valerie Plame Valerie Elise Plame (born August 13, 1963) is an American writer, spy novelist, and former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer. As the subject of the 2003 Plame affair, also known as the CIA leak scandal, Plame's identity as a CIA officer ...
's name to the press. "A public company must protect its assets even if that means going into contempt," Goodale said. "It has an obligation under the First Amendment to protect those assets, and it's in the interest of shareholders to protect those assets. Goodale called Pearlstine's decision "disgraceful" and attempted to have him removed from the board of the
Committee to Protect Journalists The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is an American independent non-profit, non-governmental organization, based in New York City, New York, with correspondents around the world. CPJ promotes press freedom and defends the rights of journa ...
. Pearlstine published his account of the controversy in a 2007 book ''Off the Record: The Press, the Government, and the War over Anonymous Sources''.


Personal life

Goodale, an accomplished athlete played hockey and baseball at Yale and maintains a lifelong interest in skating and hockey. He played football and basketball as well as hockey and baseball at Pomfret School and was inducted into the Pomfret School Athletic Hall of Fame 2022. He owned the Sky Rink, a full-sized skating rink on 33rd Street in Manhattan
It later became the centerpiece of Chelsea Piers
one of the most visited sites in New York City. From 1998 to 2014 he published a digital newsletter for hockey hobbyists titled MMMCS. Its name was an acronym for the "Murray Murdoch Marching and Chowder Society."
Murray Murdoch John Murray Murdoch (May 19, 1904 – May 17, 2001) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. He played for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League from 1926 to 1937, never missing a game in his career. With the Rangers M ...
, a former member of the
New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...
, was Goodale's college coach. In 1973 he founded Washington Gunnery Hockey & Skating Association, a youth hockey organization in Washington, Connecticut. James Goodale is married to the former Toni Krissel of
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
who was President of an international fund-raising firm, T.K. Goodale Associates. They are the parents of Tim (Principal, Founder and CEO of Keel Capital Ltd., and Ashley (formerly of the NYC Office of Legal Counsel), and the foster parents of Clayton Akiwenzie, a Native American (Managing Director, Mortgage Banking, Berkadia,
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
).


Awards and Honors

• '
Columbia Journalism Review The ''Columbia Journalism Review'' (''CJR'') is a biannual magazine for professional journalists that has been published by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism since 1961. Its contents include news and media industry trends, ana ...
'' has listed James Goodale as one of 200 who shaped New York Media. • Named by ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' magazine in 1974 as one of the rising leaders in the United States along with Joe Biden. • Recipient of the "Champion of the First Amendment Award," from the
American Bar Association The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. Founded in 1878, the ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of acad ...
Forum in February 2014. • Recipient of th
"George H.W. Bush '48 Lifetime of Leadership Award
" Yale University, 2015. • On May 5, 2015,
PEN America PEN America (formerly PEN American Center), founded in 1922 and headquartered in New York City, is a nonprofit organization that works to defend and celebrate free expression in the United States and worldwide through the advancement of litera ...
awarded the 201
PEN/Toni and James C. Goodale Freedom of Expression Courage Award to the French satirical weekly, Charlie Hebdo


References


External links


Fighting for the Press: The Inside Story of the Pentagon Papers and Other Battles
*
Appearances
on
CUNY TV , mottoeng = The education of free people is the hope of Mankind , budget = $3.6 billion , established = , type = Public university system , chancellor = Fél ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Goodale, James 1933 births Living people Television personalities from New York City Lawyers from New York City Yale Law School faculty Lawyers from Cambridge, Massachusetts Yale University alumni University of Chicago Law School alumni New York University faculty Fordham University faculty Pomfret School alumni