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Neil Thomas Proto (born September 4, 1945) is an American lawyer, teacher, lecturer, and author. He chaired Students Challenging Regulatory Agency Procedures (SCRAP) as a law student. He served in the Appellate Section of the Environment and Natural Resources Division in the
U.S. Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United State ...
. During the administration of President
Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...
, he served as general counsel to the President's Nuclear Safety Oversight Committee. Proto was appointed a visiting lecturer at
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 1988 and 1989. Since 1990, while in private practice in Washington, DC, he has been an adjunct professor at
Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...
's
McCourt School of Public Policy The McCourt School of Public Policy is one of ten constituent schools of Georgetown University. The McCourt School offers master's degrees in public policy, international development policy, policy management, data science for public policy, and ...
. In 2010, he was elected a Fellow in the
Royal Geographical Society The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical scien ...
of London. In 2016, his one-person play, ''The Reckoning, Pecora for the Public'', premiered in Seattle.


Early life and education

Proto was born in
New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,02 ...
, to Matthew and Celeste Proto. Both parents were active in New Haven's civic and political life. His mother emigrated from Italy in 1916. He attended New Haven's public schools. Proto's sister, Diana (1947—), was a Milken National Educator. His brother, Richard Proto, (1940–2008), was director of research in the U.S.
National Security Agency 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, collecti ...
. In 2009, a conference center was named in his honor on the NSA campus in Fort Meade, Maryland. Proto graduated from
Southern Connecticut State University Southern Connecticut State University (Southern Connecticut, Southern Connecticut State, SCSU, or simply Southern) is a public university in New Haven, Connecticut. Part of the Connecticut State University System, it was founded in 1893 and is g ...
in 1967, where he served as student body president and received the university's outstanding leadership award. He was among the early recipients of college funding from the New Haven Scholarship Fund. He received his Master of Arts degree in International Affairs from The
George Washington University , mottoeng = "God is Our Trust" , established = , type = Private federally chartered research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.8 billion (2022) , preside ...
(GWU) in 1969. From April to June 6, 1968, he served as chair of Young Citizens for Kennedy in Connecticut; then he worked with others to collect signatures for hand gun control. He graduated, with honors, from GWU's law school in 1972. While there, he organized and chaired Students Challenging Regulatory Agency Procedures (SCRAP). His first book, ''To A High Court'', captured the activist imperative and rough corporate culture that surrounded and tempered him and led to United States of America v. SCRAP, 412 US 669 (1973). It was the first
Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
case to deal with the
National Environmental Policy Act The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is a United States environmental law that promotes the enhancement of the environment and established the President's Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). The law was enacted on January 1, 1970.Un ...
and "standing to sue" under the Constitution. The decision has proven an acknowledged and enduring bane to Justice
Antonin Scalia Antonin Gregory Scalia (; March 11, 1936 – February 13, 2016) was an American jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1986 until his death in 2016. He was described as the intellectu ...
and Chief Justice
John Roberts John Glover Roberts Jr. (born January 27, 1955) is an American lawyer and jurist who has served as the 17th chief justice of the United States since 2005. Roberts has authored the majority opinion in several landmark cases, including ''Nati ...
Jr. He also donated various documents, photographs, and memorabilia from the 1968–1972 era to the university's
Gelman Library The Estelle and Melvin Gelman Library, more commonly known as Gelman Library, is the main library of The George Washington University, and is located on its Foggy Bottom campus. The Gelman Library, the Eckles Library on the Mount Vernon campus a ...
. In March 2014, Proto was interviewed for an exhibition and symposium planned for fall 2014 on GW's central place in the civil rights and anti-Vietnam War demonstrations.


Public service, private practice, teaching, and civic life

While at the Justice Department (Appellate Section, Environment and Natural Resources Division), Proto litigated cases concerning public lands, environment, and Native Americans. He received the Department's Special Commendation Award for Outstanding Service and the Division's Award for Meritorious Service. In 1979, Proto returned to New Haven. In January 1980, he served as co-chair of the first Mayoral inauguration held at Yale University. The inauguration, held in Woolsey Hall, included the president of Yale,
A. Bartlett Giamatti Angelo Bartlett Giamatti (; April 4, 1938 – September 1, 1989) was an American professor of English Renaissance literature, the president of Yale University, and the seventh Commissioner of Major League Baseball. Giamatti served as Commiss ...
, and Connecticut Governor
Ella T. Grasso Ella Rosa Giovianna Oliva Grasso (née Tambussi; May 10, 1919 – February 5, 1981) was an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who served as the 83rd Governor of Connecticut from January 8, 1975, to December 31, 1980, after re ...
. Proto wrote about the event in his book about Giamatti, ''Fearless: A. Bartlett Giamatti and the Battle for Fairness in America.'' He has also written about Giamatti and
Pete Rose Peter Edward Rose Sr. (born April 14, 1941), also known by his nickname "Charlie Hustle", is an American former professional baseball player and manager. Rose played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1963 to 1986, most prominently as a membe ...
. Proto was elected to the board of directors of the
Long Wharf Theater Long Wharf Theatre is a nonprofit institution in New Haven, Connecticut, a pioneer in the not-for-profit regional theatre movement, the originator of several prominent plays, and a venue where many internationally known actors have appeared. Fou ...
, and served on the board of directors of the
Shubert Theatre (New Haven) The Shubert Theatre is a 1,600-seat theatre located at 247 College Street in New Haven, Connecticut. Originally opened in 1914 by The Shubert Organization, it was designed by Albert Swazey, a New York architect and built by the H.E. Murdock Constr ...
. In 1981, Proto received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from
Southern Connecticut State University Southern Connecticut State University (Southern Connecticut, Southern Connecticut State, SCSU, or simply Southern) is a public university in New Haven, Connecticut. Part of the Connecticut State University System, it was founded in 1893 and is g ...
. He had given the Commencement Address in 1976. In 1981, Proto returned to Washington, D.C., where he served as general counsel to President
Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...
's Nuclear Safety Oversight Committee (NSOC). Proto also has written about the corporate and government failure to ensure nuclear safety. From 1983 to 1989, Proto entered private practice in New Haven. He represented the city and state in various constitutional and environmental litigation in Washington, D.C.; Connecticut; and New York. Proto was appointed a visiting lecturer at
Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...
in 1988 and 1989, where he taught the history and law of nuclear power. Proto returned to Washington, D.C., to join Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, McPherson and Hand and begin teaching at
Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...
's Public Policy Institute (now the
McCourt School of Public Policy The McCourt School of Public Policy is one of ten constituent schools of Georgetown University. The McCourt School offers master's degrees in public policy, international development policy, policy management, data science for public policy, and ...
). He represented, pro bono, the
National Trust for Historic Preservation The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a privately funded, nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that works in the field of historic preservation in the United States. The member-supported organization was founded in 1949 by ...
and Protect Historic America (involving such authors as
David McCullough David Gaub McCullough (; July 7, 1933 – August 7, 2022) was an American popular historian. He was a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. In 2006, he was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States ...
,
James Alan McPherson James Alan McPherson (September 16, 1943 – July 27, 2016) was an American essayist and short-story writer. He was the first African-American writer to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and was included among the first group of artists who re ...
, and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nick Kotz) in their successful effort to stop Disney from building a theme park in Virginia. He drafted a unique statutory scheme at the behest of the State of Hawaii that resulted in the conveyance of Kaho'olawe Island from the United States to Hawaii for the special use of Native Hawaiians. His work led, in part, to the publication of his second book, ''The Rights of My People: Liliuokalani's Enduring Battle with the United States, 1898 to 1917.'' The book explored the skilled and courageous efforts of former Queen Liliuokalani on the continental United States to regain one million acres of land taken in the 1898 annexation by the United States. Proto also focused on the disquieting role played by lawyers. In December 2013, he donated the ''Rights of My People'' papers to the University of Hawaii Law School. In 2002, Proto became a partner at
Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP is a U.S. law firm based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, founded in Philadelphia in 1935 by former Pennsylvania Attorney General William A. Schnader, Bernard G. Segal, a former Deputy Attorney General serving ...
. In 2004, he was elected to the board of directors of the
Roosevelt Institute The Roosevelt Institute is a liberal American think tank. According to the organization, it exists "to carry forward the legacy and values of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt by developing progressive ideas and bold leadership in the service of rest ...
for a three-year term. In the summer of 2004, he served as counsel to Congresswoman
Rosa DeLauro Rosa Luisa DeLauro (; born March 2, 1943) is an American politician who has been the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for since 1991. She is a member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party. The dist ...
(D-Conn.) in her capacity as chair of the Democratic Party Platform Drafting Committee. He served as chair (1995–2010) of the American Friends of Wilton Park, a British-American educational organization with origins in World War II. In 2010, he served as a senior adviser to the
United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...
's Foreign Affairs Conference on "National Security Beyond the Horizon: Changing Threats in a Changing World." Later that year, he was elected a Fellow in the
Royal Geographical Society The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical scien ...
.


Selected writings

Proto's articles have been published in various newspapers, magazines, and journals. From 1997 to 2002, Proto undertook an examination of the lives of Bartolomeo Vanzetti and Nicola Sacco and the cultural and legal setting for their 1921 trial and 1927 execution. In 2002, with the support of Mayor
John DeStefano, Jr. John DeStefano Jr. (born May 11, 1955) is an American politician who served as the List of mayors of New Haven, Connecticut, 49th mayor of New Haven, Connecticut, New Haven, Connecticut, from 1994 until 2014. He was the Democratic Party (United ...
, and Congresswoman
Rosa DeLauro Rosa Luisa DeLauro (; born March 2, 1943) is an American politician who has been the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for since 1991. She is a member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party. The dist ...
, Proto served as chair of New Haven's year-long commemoration of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the execution. Proto also co-adapted from the original Dutch (with director Tony Giordano) the musical drama, "The American Dream: The Story of Sacco and Vanzetti." It was performed at the
Shubert Theatre (New Haven) The Shubert Theatre is a 1,600-seat theatre located at 247 College Street in New Haven, Connecticut. Originally opened in 1914 by The Shubert Organization, it was designed by Albert Swazey, a New York architect and built by the H.E. Murdock Constr ...
in 2002. In the preface to
Sacco and Vanzetti Nicola Sacco (; April 22, 1891 – August 23, 1927) and Bartolomeo Vanzetti (; June 11, 1888 – August 23, 1927) were Italian immigrant anarchists who were controversially accused of murdering Alessandro Berardelli and Frederick Parmenter, a ...
, which encompasses the history and persons involved in this almost seven-year inquiry and literary effort, Proto wrote the following: "This body of work has reflected my intention to encourage a colloquy about the meaning and effects among Italian immigrants and Italian Americans of the fight for the lives of Bartolomeo Vanzetti and Nicola Sacco. It was not a lonely journey. From the outset, numerous people engaged thoughtfully and, at times, provocatively in such a colloquy…. Raw, often dormant, experiences and recollections emerged with a comfort not previously allowed or accepted. Memories among the elderly had been seared by the lives of Vanzetti and Sacco." His recent writings include a work of short fiction, ''Absent in Body, Present in Spirit'', as well as works on his adventurous exploits with friends in the Northwest and book reviews on
Louis Brandeis Louis Dembitz Brandeis (; November 13, 1856 – October 5, 1941) was an American lawyer and associate justice on the Supreme Court of the United States from 1916 to 1939. Starting in 1890, he helped develop the "right to privacy" concept ...
and
T. E. Lawrence Thomas Edward Lawrence (16 August 1888 – 19 May 1935) was a British archaeologist, army officer, diplomat, and writer who became renowned for his role in the Arab Revolt (1916–1918) and the Sinai and Palestine Campaign (1915–1918 ...
. In 2016, Proto's one-person play on the 1933 U.S. Senate hearings into the causes of the
1929 stock market crash The Wall Street Crash of 1929, also known as the Great Crash, was a major American stock market crash that occurred in the autumn of 1929. It started in September and ended late in October, when share prices on the New York Stock Exchange colla ...
, ''The Reckoning, Pecora for the Public'', premiered in Seattle. A reviewer said: "Possibly it ''is'' the best solo play ever written." Proto's most recent book, ''Fearless: A. Bartlett Giamatti and the Battle for Fairness in America,'' explores the early years of the Italian American professor of Renaissance literature who would later become Yale's first non-Anglo-Saxon president and the commissioner of Major League Baseball. The book received the 2020 bronze award in the Biography category of the ''Foreword Reviews'' INDIES Book of the Year Awards.


Current interests

Proto is a member of the
District of Columbia Bar The District of Columbia Bar (DCB) is the mandatory bar association of the District of Columbia. It administers the admissions, licensing, and discipline functions for lawyers licensed to practice in the District. It is to be distinguished from ...
and the United States Supreme Court Bar. His peers recognize him for exceptional ethical conduct and legal skill.Martindale Hubbell, which is peer-driven, conferred an annual ranking of the highest order (AV) on Proto during his last decade of practice. According to Proto's notification: "Less than 14% of U.S. Attorneys are AV rated." He continues to reside in Washington, D.C., occupied by writing, teaching, and exploring new creative threads. His interests frequently take him abroad to
Royal Geographical Society The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical scien ...
conferences and events; to the
Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though ...
for hiking, sailing, kayaking, and snowshoeing; and to the Northeast to maintain close ties with family members and friends.


References and notes


External links

*
Text of US v. SCRAP, 412 U.S. 669 (1973)rightsofmypeople.comtoahighcourt.comGuide to the Neil Thomas Proto Papers, 1968-2006, Special Collections Research Center, Estelle and Melvin Gelman Library, The George Washington University
{{DEFAULTSORT:Proto, Neil Thomas 1945 births Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society Georgetown University Law Center faculty Living people Lawyers from New Haven, Connecticut Southern Connecticut State University alumni