Board of Directors
Ross Garber, Chair
Michael Chase, Treasurer
Michael Chase, Treasurer
Ross, who splits his time among Washington, D.C., Connecticut, and New Orleans, is a government investigations lawyer and the principal of The Garber Group LLC.
He also currently serves as a legal analyst at CNN and teaches political investigations law at Tulane Law School.
Ross supports Clause 40 Foundation because he recognizes that absent vigilance, governments will accrete and all too often abuse their powers. Clause 40 Foundation does critical work to ensure that principles of due process are honored and advanced.
Michael Chase, Treasurer
Michael Chase, Treasurer
Michael Chase, Treasurer
Mike is a government investigations and criminal defense lawyer. He also authors the @CrimeADay Twitter page, teaches trial practice at the University of Connecticut School of Law, and serves on the Connecticut Sentencing Commission.
His book, “How to Become a Federal Criminal: An Illustrated Handbook for the Aspiring Offender” (Simon & Schuster 2019), uses humor to explore runaway criminal lawmaking by the federal government and has been praised by lawmakers and critics.
Blair Brown, Secretary
Michael Chase, Treasurer
Blair Brown, Secretary
Blair is a partner at Zuckerman Spaeder, LLP, where he represents individuals and entities in a wide array of sophisticated civil and criminal litigation matters. In his pro bono legal work, Blair has represented inmates on death row, written appellate amicus briefs on significant issues of criminal law and procedure, and provided legal ethics advice to public defender organizations.
Before joining the firm in 1988, Blair tried serious felony cases as an attorney at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia and now serves as Chairperson of their Board of Trustees. He previously served as a founding Board Member of Gideon’s Promise and is Co-Founder and Former Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project.
Blair supports the work of Clause 40 Foundation because be believes that all persons accused of crimes – regardless of race, class, or popularity – deserve zealous representation and due process in the criminal justice system.
Alex Litvack
Karen Blackistone
Alex Litvack
Since graduating from law school, Alex has spent her entire career in the public sector working to ensure that everyone has access to affordable healthcare. For the past ten years, she has been working at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as a senior health insurance policy specialist, working on matters related to the implementation and enforcement of the Affordable Care Act.
She currently lives in Washington DC with her husband and English Mastiff, Buffy.
Alex supports the work of Clause 40 Foundation because she believes that safeguarding due process rights for everyone is an essential tenet of our criminal justice system.
Brett Tolman
Karen Blackistone
Alex Litvack
Brett L. Tolman is an attorney and founder of The Tolman Group focusing on public policy and government reform. Prior to entering private practice, Brett served as a federal prosecutor for nearly a decade. In 2006, he was appointed by President George Bush to be the United States Attorney for the District of Utah—a position he held for nearly four years.
For the past 10 years, Brett has defended corporations and executives in all manner of state and federal criminal and regulatory actions across the country. During this time, he has also been a leading figure in criminal justice reform including the drafting and passage of the First Step Act, one of the most sweeping reforms of the federal criminal justice system in decades. Brett continues to work on criminal justice reform issues and advises the White House and many members of congress on such issues.
Brett supports the work of Clause 40 Foundation because our criminal justice system is only as good as the due process we afford the accused and the integrity of our adherence to the presumption of innocence.
Karen Blackistone
Karen Blackistone
Karen Blackistone
Biography coming soon!
Timothy O'Toole
We Are Currently Recruiting
Karen Blackistone
Tim is the leader of Miller & Chevalier's White Collar Defense Practice Group. Between his time at Miller & Chevalier and his time as a public defender, Tim has been conducting and leading large-scale defense investigations for over 20 years. He has substantial experience in all areas of criminal defense practice on behalf of individuals and entities, with a current focus on economic sanctions and export controls.
Prior to private practice, Tim served as the Chief of the Special Litigation Division of the Public Defender Service in D.C. and as an Assistant Federal Public Defender in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he handled matters for people under sentence of death.
Tim supports the work of Clause 40 Foundation because Clause 40’s timeless principles - fair notice and a meaningful opportunity to confront the government’s charges - are worth fighting for.
We Are Currently Recruiting
We Are Currently Recruiting
We Are Currently Recruiting
Interested in serving? Have someone talented to recommend? Contact us! We strongly encourage applications from people with a diverse array of backgrounds to help us carry out our mission. Help us build an equitable organization!
Shana-Tara O'Toole
We Are Currently Recruiting
We Are Currently Recruiting
Shana currently serves as Clause 40 Foundation's first President / CEO, serving on its Board of Directors in an ex officio capacity.