Clifford J. Zatz

Cliff represented clients as diverse as consumer product manufacturers, chemical companies, defense contractors, a wind energy facility, a university, a railroad, and a telecommunications company, among others. He appeared in the state and federal courts of more than 20 jurisdictions, with major jury trials in Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, and Florida. Cliff’s representations established the “sophisticated user defense” as state law, earned a listing as a National Law Journal top 15 defense verdict of the year, protected the First Amendment right to call out racism, and helped fend off “hackability” as an emerging theory of product liability. His “ready for trial” perspective also helped clients strategically evaluate risk, define “win” in light of their business objectives, and position themselves best when settlement was their goal.

Cliff did pro bono work in areas such as fair housing, e.g., Feemster v. BSA Limited Partnership, 471 F. Supp. 2d 87 (D.D.C. 2007), aff’d, 548 F. 3d 1063 (D.C. Cir. 2008); discrimination against the HIV-positive in adoption; the recognition of a cause of action for negligent handgun storage, Jupin v. Kask, 447 Mass. 141 (2006); and voting rights. He led a Crowell & Moring team challenging SB 202, the Georgia election law passed in the wake of the 2020 election. Cliff was honored for his pro bono work with Crowell’s “George Bailey” Pro Bono Award, an Idealist of the Year award from City Year, and, in 2025, with the firm’s Pro Bono Lifetime Achievement Award.

A longtime National Institute for Trial Advocacy faculty member, Cliff taught for more than 20 years in its Washington, D.C., regional program, Building Trial Skills. He was also a co-founding faculty member and taught annually in Crowell’s Trial Excellence Academy.

Cliff was an engaged alumnus of Duke Law School. He served on the boards of the national Duke Law Alumni Association and the DC regional alumni association, and as the law school’s representative on the DukeDC regional board of directors. He received a 2021 Forever Duke Award from the university “in celebration of service to Duke.”