Paul L. Oostburg Sanz
Encyclopedia
Paul L. Oostburg Sanz is the current United States
General Counsel of the Navy
.
from the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service
at Georgetown University
, an M.P.A. from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs
at Princeton University
, and a J.D.
from Harvard Law School
. After law school, he clerked
for Judge
José A. Fusté
of the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico
.
He conducted political party training in South Africa during the 1994 South African election
, as a Project Officer for the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
; and served as a Peace Corps
Volunteer in Guinea-Bissau. He has also worked as a Graduate Fellow for the United States Agency for International Development
in Mozambique
and the United States Department of State
in Liberia
.
Oostburg Sanz then joined the staff of the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs as the Democratic
Deputy Chief Counsel. In this position, he provided legal expertise to the Committee’s Ranking Member on legislation and issues related to the Western Hemisphere
, foreign assistance, and non-military security assistance. In January 2007, he became General Counsel
of the United States House Committee on Armed Services
. In this capacity, he was largely responsible for the drafting of the Military Commissions Act of 2009
.
In 2010, President of the United States
Barack Obama
nominated Oostburg Sanz as General Counsel of the Navy
, and Oostburg Sanz entered office on March 12, 2010.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
General Counsel of the Navy
General Counsel of the Navy
The General Counsel of the Department of the Navy is the senior civilian lawyer in the United States Department of the Navy and is the senior legal adviser to the Secretary of the Navy. The Office of the General Counsel of the Navy provides legal advice to the Secretary, the Under Secretary of the...
.
Biography
Paul L. Oostburg Sanz received a B.A.Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service
Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service
The Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service is a school within Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., United States. Jesuit priest Edmund A...
at Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
, an M.P.A. from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs
Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs
The Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs is a professional public policy school at Princeton University. The school has granted undergraduate A.B. degrees since 1930 and graduate degrees since 1948...
at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, and a J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
. After law school, he clerked
Law clerk
A law clerk or a judicial clerk is a person who provides assistance to a judge in researching issues before the court and in writing opinions. Law clerks are not court clerks or courtroom deputies, who are administrative staff for the court. Most law clerks are recent law school graduates who...
for Judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
José A. Fusté
José A. Fusté
Judge José Antonio Fusté , a United States District Judge, is the former Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico, a court which in recent years has seen the influx of three new, relatively young judges, including the court's second female member and current...
of the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico
United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico
The United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico is the federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The court is based in San Juan. The main building is the Clemente Ruiz Nazario U.S. Courthouse located in the Hato Rey district of San Juan...
.
He conducted political party training in South Africa during the 1994 South African election
South African general election, 1994
The South African general election of 1994 was an election held in South Africa to mark the end of apartheid, therefore also the first held with universal adult suffrage. The election was conducted under the direction of the Independent Electoral Commission .Millions queued in lines over a three...
, as a Project Officer for the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies , headquartered in Washington, DC in the United States, is a national, nonprofit research and public policy institution or think tank...
; and served as a Peace Corps
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
Volunteer in Guinea-Bissau. He has also worked as a Graduate Fellow for the United States Agency for International Development
United States Agency for International Development
The United States Agency for International Development is the United States federal government agency primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid. President John F. Kennedy created USAID in 1961 by executive order to implement development assistance programs in the areas...
in Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
and the United States Department of State
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
in Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
.
Oostburg Sanz then joined the staff of the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs as the Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Deputy Chief Counsel. In this position, he provided legal expertise to the Committee’s Ranking Member on legislation and issues related to the Western Hemisphere
Western Hemisphere
The Western Hemisphere or western hemisphere is mainly used as a geographical term for the half of the Earth that lies west of the Prime Meridian and east of the Antimeridian , the other half being called the Eastern Hemisphere.In this sense, the western hemisphere consists of the western portions...
, foreign assistance, and non-military security assistance. In January 2007, he became General Counsel
General Counsel
A general counsel is the chief lawyer of a legal department, usually in a corporation or government department. The term is most used in the United States...
of the United States House Committee on Armed Services
United States House Committee on Armed Services
thumb|United States House Committee on Armed Services emblemThe U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, commonly known as the House Armed Services Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives...
. In this capacity, he was largely responsible for the drafting of the Military Commissions Act of 2009
Military Commissions Act of 2009
The United States House of Representatives passed a bill, known as the Military Commissions Act of 2009, which amended the Military Commissions Act of 2006.Formally, it is Title XVIII of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 ....
.
In 2010, President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
nominated Oostburg Sanz as General Counsel of the Navy
General Counsel of the Navy
The General Counsel of the Department of the Navy is the senior civilian lawyer in the United States Department of the Navy and is the senior legal adviser to the Secretary of the Navy. The Office of the General Counsel of the Navy provides legal advice to the Secretary, the Under Secretary of the...
, and Oostburg Sanz entered office on March 12, 2010.