Barry J. Pollack is an American lawyer and adjunct professor at Georgetown University. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, a Fellow of the American Board of Criminal Lawyers, and a former president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.[1][2] He is a partner at the New York City law firm Harris St Laurent & Wechsler.[3]
Pollack is known for representing former Enron executive Michael Krautz and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.[4] He currently represents Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro in the United States v. Maduro et al.
Pollack has been described as a "thorough and deep-thinking lawyer" who "lives, breathes and sleeps trials" and has a "natural way in front of juries".[3][4][5][6]
Education and legal career
Pollack earned a Bachelor of Laws degree from Indiana University in 1986, graduating with high honors. He received his Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1991, graduating magna cum laude and as a member of the Order of the Coif.[7][8]
aFollowing law school, Pollack served as a law clerk to Judge Thomas A. Flannery of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He later worked as an Assistant Federal Public Defender in the District of Maryland.[5] He currently teaches federal criminal trial practice at Georgetown University as an adjunct professor.[6]
Notable cases
Pollack represented former Enron accountant Michael Krautz, who was acquitted.[3] He successfully overturned the wrongful conviction of Martin Tankleff, who spent 6,338 days in prison after being convicted of his mother's murder on 7 September, 1988.[9] Pollack also defended Paul Manafort, former campaign chairman for Donald Trump, in connection with federal investigations into financial crimes.[5] In 2024, he represented WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information and was subsequently released.[10]
United States v. Maduro et al.
Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro was taken into U.S. custody during the 2026 United States intervention in Venezuela and appeared in federal court in Manhattan on 5 January 2026.[11] Pollack accompanied Maduro as his private counsel.[3] Maduro has been charged with narcoterrorism, along with his wife Cilia Flores and others. Maduro and Flores plead not guilty to the charges.[12]
Pollack argued that Maduro was the head of a sovereign state and therefore entitled to the privilege associated with that status,[13] and raised questions regarding the legality of Maduro's capture by U.S. forces.[14] He stated that he anticipates extensive and complex litigation in the case.[11]
References
- ^ "Barry Pollack - District of Columbia - Lawyer Profile | Benchmark Litigation". benchmarklitigation.com. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
- ^ "Barry J. Pollack". Georgetown Law. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
- ^ a b c d Gabbatt, Adam (6 January 2026). "Maduro's legal team includes acclaimed lawyer who represented Julian Assange". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
- ^ a b Arkin, Daniel; Burke, Minyvonne (5 January 2026). "Maduro's lawyer, known for being 'meticulous,' previously defended Julian Assange". NBC News. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
- ^ a b c "Barry J Pollack". chambers.com. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
- ^ a b Srivastava, Nisha (6 January 2026). "Who Is Barry Pollack? The Veteran Lawyer Defending Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro in US Court". The Sunday Guardian. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
- ^ "Barry Pollack — Harris St. Laurent & Wechsler LLP". Harris St. Laurent & Wechsler LLP. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
- ^ Palacios, Bibiana (5 January 2026). "Who is Barry Pollack, the lawyer defending Nicolas Maduro in the NY court?". Revista Merca2.0 (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 January 2026.
- ^ "Wrongful Conviction: Martin Tankleff on Why New York Needs #Right2RemainSilent". The Legal Aid Society. 2 October 2025. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
- ^ Madani, Doha; Helsel, Phil (26 June 2024). "WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange pleads guilty to conspiracy after 5 years in prison". NBC News. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
- ^ a b Queen, Jack; Wolfe, Jan (6 January 2026). "Maduro pleads not guilty to drug charges, saying he was 'kidnapped'". Reuters. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
- ^ Diaz, Jaclyn (5 January 2026). "Maduro and wife plead not guilty to narco-terrorism charges". NPR. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
- ^ Sharma, Yashraj (6 January 2026). "What has the US charged Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro with?". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
- ^ Ferragamo, Mariel. "A Guide to Maduro's Capture and Venezuela's Uncertain Future | Council on Foreign Relations". www.cfr.org. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
