Harry P. Litman (born c. 1958)^[1] is an American lawyer, law professor and political commentator. He is a former U.S. Attorney and Deputy Assistant Attorney General.^[2][3] He has provided commentary in print and broadcast news and produces the Talking Feds podcast. He has taught in multiple law schools and schools of public policy.

Litman served as a law clerk to Abner Mikva, Thurgood Marshall, and Anthony Kennedy. His practice specialties have included False Claims law and Whistleblower law.

Litman grew up in the Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and was named a presidential scholar upon graduation from high school in 1976.^[1][4] Both his parents, Roslyn Litman and S. David Litman, were lawyers as well as civil liberties advocates.^[5] He attended the Tree of Life Synagogue as a youth.^[6] He received his Bachelor of Arts from Harvard College in 1980. After graduating, he worked as a sports reporter for the Associated Press and as a production assistant for feature films.^[1][7]

He received his Juris Doctor from the University of California at Berkeley in 1986, where he was editor-in-chief of the California Law Review and graduated Order of the Coif.^[1][4][8]

Litman served as a law clerk to Abner Mikva of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit;^[9] and Supreme Court Justices Thurgood Marshall^[4] and Anthony Kennedy^[4] during the 1987 and 1988 terms.^[10][11]

Following his clerkships, Litman became an Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of California. While an Assistant U.S. Attorney, he was detailed to the Department of Justice's main office in Washington, D.C., to work on several national cases, including the federal re-prosecution of the Los Angeles police officers in the Rodney King case.^[12]

From 1993 to 1998 he was a Deputy Assistant Attorney General^[13] under Janet Reno^[4] in the Department of Justice, coordinating the department's work on a number of issues and advising the Attorney General and other officials on questions of constitutional law and prosecutorial policy. Simultaneously, he was a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. In that capacity, he was co-counsel for Operation Underhand, prosecuting a narcotics ring that smuggled drugs into prison under the guise of providing religious counseling.^[4]

In 1998, he was appointed U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania^[4][8] by President Bill Clinton.

Litman in 2000 personally litigated a gun trafficking case under Operation Target.^[14][15] In July 2000, Clinton nominated Litman for a judgeship on the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, but the Senate adjourned without considering the nomination.^[16] While in government, Litman also taught at Berkeley Law School, Georgetown Law School and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.^[17]

Litman developed a nationally recognized gun-violence reduction initiative known as Operation Target,^[18] and personally litigated cases in the district court and the court of appeals.^[19][20]

A Democrat, Litman served as Pennsylvania state counsel to the Kerry-Edwards campaign in 2004 and post-election counsel for Western Pennsylvania to the Obama-Biden presidential campaign in 2008.

After leaving government, Litman was appointed a Distinguished Visitor and Fellow to the Program in Law and Public Policy at Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs.^[21]

As of 2020 Litman was associated with the law firm Constantine Cannon in San Francisco, where he focuses on False Claims Act cases.^[22]

He is listed in "Best Lawyers of America" in the categories "Commercial Litigation", "White Collar Criminal Defense", and "Qui Tam Law".

Litman is the host and executive producer of the Talking Feds podcast. The podcast is known for its roundtable discussions featuring prominent guests across government, law, and journalism and for its sidebars in which prominent figures in other fields explain legal or federal topics in the news.^[23]

In March 2024, he launched "Talking San Diego," a series of conversations with some of the nation’s most interesting and prominent figures.  The inaugural conversation, with Congressman Jamie Raskin, took place March 18, 2024.^{[24] [25]}

Litman is married to Julie Roskies Litman, a mathematician,^[41] three time jiu jitsu world champion,^[42] and former professional bass player. Roskies Litman graduated summa cum laude from Yale University with a double major in philosophy and mathematics. They have 3 school age children; David, Lila, and Toby.^[43] Litman's parents, Roslyn Litman^[44] and David Litman, represented future NBA star Connie Hawkins in his successful suit to be admitted into the league. Litman's sister, Jessica Litman, is a lawyer and copyright scholar at the University of Michigan. His mother was attorney Roslyn Litman.^[45] He is a member of the Democratic Party.^[46]

• List of Jewish American jurists
• List of law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States (Seat 1)
• List of law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States (Seat 10)