Paul L. Hoffman

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Private Practice Schonbrun DeSimone Seplow Harris & Hoffman, LLP Venice, California March 1994 - Present In November 1999 I became a partner in Schonbrun DeSimone Seplow Harris & Hoffman, LLP. Prior to that, on March 1, 1994, I established my own law firm. On May 1, 1997, the firm became Bostwick & Hoffman, LLP. My practice has been in the areas of constitutional and civil rights litigation, including First Amendment, discrimination and privacy litigation, and general business litigation; including copyright and trademark litigation. I also specialize in civil and criminal appeals. In October 1998, I was named one of the 100 most influential attorneys in California by the Daily Journal and in February 1999 one of the top trial lawyers in Los Angeles County by the Los Angeles Business Journal. ACLU Legal Director, ACLU Foundation of Southern California, Los Angeles, California. September 1984 - February 1994 I directed the legal program of the ACLU in Southern California which included the supervision of ten staff attorneys and more than 100 volunteer attorneys with a docket of approximately 150-200 pending cases in every area of civil liberties and civil rights practice. In addition, I litigated a full docket of civil liberties/civil rights cases myself. I specialized in cases involving First Amendment rights, police misconduct, privacy, AIDS discrimination, international human rights, criminal justice and the death penalty. Volunteer Attorney - ACLU Foundation of Southern California, Los Angeles, California. October 1976 - Present In the period from 1976 to 1984 I litigated more than 20 civil rights/civil liberties cases in the following areas: First Amendment rights, criminal law and procedure, rights of persons with disabilities, race and sex discrimination, voting rights, police misconduct, freedom of information and privacy. I was lead counsel in Coalition Against Police Abuse v. Board of Police Commissioners (the "police spying" cases) and in Wilkinson v. FBI (a challenge to the FBI's COINTELPRO operation against the National Committee To Abolish HUAC). In 1984, I received the Clarence Darrow Award for outstanding First Amendment advocacy for my work in the police spying cases. After leaving the ACLU in 1994, I was named "of Counsel" to the ACLU Foundation and a member of the ACLU Foundation Board. I continue to litigate ACLU cases. Private Law Practice Associate Attorney (Litigation Department) Loeb and Loeb, Los Angeles, California August 1976 - August 1981 I participated in the preparation and trial of matters in the following areas: securities regulation, bankruptcy, contracts, business torts, real estate, copyright, defamation and constitutional law. I also handled a number of appeals. I often had primary responsibility for the cases I handled and on several complex cases I supervised several other attorneys and numerous paralegals. I was also a member of several firm committees, including the recruitment committee. Teaching Experience Fulltime Associate Professor, Southwestern University School of Law Los Angeles, California. August 1981 - July 1984 Courses: Criminal Law and Procedure, Federal Courts, Civil Rights Litigation Seminar, International Human Rights Law, Public International Law, Contracts. I was also the Co-Director (with Stanley Fleishman) of a clinical program on the rights of the disabled and elderly. ADJUNCT TEACHING Oxford University/George Washington School of Law June 1980 - Present Stanford Law School UCLA School of Law USC Law School Loyola Law School Southwestern University School of Law In all, I have taught more than 40 separate courses, including First Amendment, Civil Rights Litigation, Constitutional Law Seminars on Equality and Privacy, International Human Rights, International Criminal Justice, Police Abuse Litigation, Slander, Libel, and the First Amendment and AIDS and the Law. REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVITIES Amnesty International: Since August 1999 I have been a member of AI's 9 member International Executive Committee which oversees AI's operations throughout the world. Amnesty International - USA: Chair of the Board (1997-99, 1988-89); Member, Executive Committee (1984-1989, 1992-94, 1997-99); Member of Board (1983-89, 1992-94, 1996-99); Chair, International Council Meeting (1991-97); Founder and National Coordinator, AIUSA Legal Support Network (1982-87); Chair of December 1998 International Summit of Human Rights Defenders (Paris, France). I have also undertaken several human rights missions, diplomatic missions (e.g. as a delegate to United Nations meetings) and trial observations for AI. I have served on numerous AIUSA committees and task forces and I have frequently represented AIUSA in the media. Human Rights Watch: Member of California Committee; Member of Advisory Committee to Asia Watch; Research mission to Ethiopia (1994) Article 19 (International Centre Against Censorship): Member of International Board (since 1999); Chair of 1995 International Conference on Freedom of Expression and National Security (Johannesburg, South Africa). International League for Human Rights: Member of Board Center For Human Rights and Constitutional Law: Member of Board International Human Rights Law Group: Member of Domestic Advisory Committee Awards and Honors Super Lawyers® Selectees Paul L. Hoffman included in a Super Lawyers® list Honors Staff Member, Annual Survey of American Law, 1974-1975 Research Associate, International Law Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 1975-1976 Law Clerk, Manhattan Legal Services (N.Y.U. Public Interest Clinic), 1974-1975 RFK Fellow, Office of Congressman Jonathan Bingham, Washington, D.C., 1974 Other Sources of Feedback About Paul L. Hoffman Included on the 2026Southern California Super Lawyers list Past Lists 2025 Southern California Super Lawyers list 2024 Southern California Super Lawyers list 2023 Southern California Super Lawyers list 2022 Southern California Super Lawyers list 2021 Southern California Super Lawyers list 2020 Southern California Super Lawyers list 2019 Southern California Super Lawyers list 2018 Southern California Super Lawyers list 2017 Southern California Super Lawyers list 2016 Southern California Super Lawyers list 2015 Southern California Super Lawyers list 2014 Southern California Super Lawyers list 2013 Southern California Super Lawyers list 2012 Southern California Super Lawyers list 2011 Southern California Super Lawyers list 2010 Southern California Super Lawyers list 2009 Southern California Super Lawyers list 2008 Southern California Super Lawyers list 2007 Southern California Super Lawyers list 2006 Southern California Super Lawyers list 2005 Southern California Super Lawyers list 2004 Southern California Super Lawyers list

• Partner

• ACLU Foundation of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, Legal Director, 1984 - 1994
• Loeb and Loeb, Los Angeles, California, Associate Attorney (Litigation Department), 1976 - 1981
• Stanley Fleishman, Co-Director

• Associate Professor, Southwestern University School of Law, 1981 - 1984
• Adjunct Teaching, Oxford University/George Washington School of Law, 1980 - Present
• Adjunct Teaching, Stanford Law School
• Adjunct Teaching, UCLA School of Law
• Adjunct Teaching, USC Law School
• Adjunct Teaching, Loyola Law School
• Adjunct Teaching, Southwestern University School of Law

• Sandin v. Conner
• Citation: 515 U.S. 472
• Court: United States Supreme Court
• Year: 1995
• United States v. Alvarez-Machain
• Citation: 504 U.S. 655
• Year: 1992
• Reno v. Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee
• Citation: 119 S.Ct. 136
• Year: 1999
• Reno v. Flores
• Citation: 507 U.S. 292
• Year: 1993
• San Francisco Arts & Athletics, Inc. v. U.S. Olympic Committee
• Citation: 483 U.S. 522
• Year: 1987
• Board of Directors of Rotary Int'l v. Rotary Club of Duarte
• Citation: 481 U.S. 537
• Crawford v. Board of Education
• Citation: 458 U.S. 527
• Year: 1982
• United States v. Messer
• Citation: 197 F. 3d. 330
• Court: 9th Cir.
• Maktab Tarighe Oveyssi Shah Maghsoudi, Inc. v. Kianfar
• Citation: 179 F.3d 1244
• United States v. Phillips
• Citation: 174 F.3d 1074
• Martinez v. City of Los Angeles
• Citation: 141 F.3d 1373
• Year: 1998
• Alvarez-Machain v. United States
• Citation: 107 F.3d 696
• Year: 1997
• Hilao v. Estate of Marcos
• Citation: 103 F.3d 789
• Year: 1996
• Abebe-Jira v. Negewo
• Citation: 72 F.3d 844
• Court: 11th Cir.
• Standing Committee v. Yagman
• Citation: 55 F.3d 1430
• Siderman v. Republic of Argentina
• Citation: 965 F.2d 699
• American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee v. Thornburgh
• Citation: 970 F.2d 501
• Year: 1991
• United States v. Aguilar
• Citation: 871 F.2d 1436
• Year: 1989
• Chalk v. United States District Court
• Citation: 840 F.2d 701
• Year: 1988
• Levine v. United States District Court
• Citation: 775 F.2d 1054
• Year: 1985
• Martin v. International Olympic Committee
• Citation: 740 F.2d 670
• Year: 1984
• Doe v. Unocal
• Citation: 963 F.Supp. 880
• Court: C.D. Cal.
• Johnson v. County of Los Angeles
• Citation: 865 F. Supp. 1430
• Year: 1994
• Wilkinson v. United States
• Citation: 774 F. Supp. 1360
• Court: N.D. Ga
• American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee v. Meese
• Citation: 714 F. Supp 1060
• Rogan v. City of Los Angeles
• Citation: 668 F. Supp 1384
• Thomas v. Atascadero Unified School District
• Citation: 662 F. Supp 376
• Wilkinson v. FBI
• Citation: 633 F. Supp 336
• Year: 1986
• Handel v. Artukovic
• Citation: 601 F. Supp 1421
• Citation: 99 F.R.D. 148
• Year: 1983
• People v. Mitcham
• Citation: 1 Cal. 4th 1027
• Court: California Supreme Court
• People v. Brown
• Citation: 100 Cal. Rptr 2d 211
• Court: California Court of Appeal
• Year: 2000
• Del Rio v. Jetton
• Citation: 55 Cal. App. 4th 30
• City of Huntington Park v. Superior Court
• Citation: 34 Cal. App. 4th 1293
• McCarthy v. Fletcher
• Citation: 207 Cal. App. 3d 130
• Ketchens v. Reiner
• Citation: 194 Cal. App. 3d 470
• Rubin v. City of Los Angeles
• Citation: 190 Cal. App. 3d 560
• Coalition Against Police Abuse v. Superior Court
• Citation: 170 Cal. App. 3d 888

• Volunteer Attorney, ACLU Foundation of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, 1976 - Present

• California Academy of Appellate Lawyers, 2000 - Present (Member)
• Los Angeles Copyright Society, 1997 - Present (Member)
• Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, 1989 - 1992 (Lawyer Representative)
• The State Bar of California, 1988 - 1991 (Member, Committee on Private Bar Involvement in Pro Bono Work)
• ABA Section on Individual Rights and Responsibilities, 1984 - 1988 (Program Coordinator, International Human Rights Committee)
• The State Bar of California, 1983 - 1986 (Committee on Human Rights)
• Los Angeles County Bar Association, Individual Rights and Responsibilities Law Section, 1985 - 1987 (Executive Committee)
• Los Angeles County Bar Association, International Law Section, 1982 - 1986 (Executive Committee)
• Los Angeles County Bar Association, 1980 - 1983 (Arbitrator (Legal Fee Disputes))
• American Arbitration Association, 1981 - 1985 (Arbitrator, Commercial Panel)
• Los Angeles County Bar Association, 1982 - 1983 (Vice-Chair, Arbitration Committee)
• Los Angeles Municipal Court, 1983 - 1984 (Judge Pro Tem)
• Amnesty International (Member)
• Amnesty International - USA (Chair of the Board)
• International League for Human Rights (Member of Board)
• Center For Human Rights and Constitutional Law (Member of Board)
• International Human Rights Law Group (Member, Domestic Advisory Committee)