James Goodale

[Wikipedia: Lead] James C. Goodale (born July 27, 1933) was the vice president and general counsel for The New York Times and, later, the Times' vice chairman. He is the author of Fighting for the Press: the Inside Story of the Pentagon Papers and Other Battles published by CUNY Journalism Press…

Source: en.wikipedia.org retrieved May 16, 2026

[Wikipedia: Education and early career] Goodale was born July 27, 1933, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His mother, a college professor, was the daughter of the Shakespearean scholar Oscar James Campbell Jr. and he is the great grandson of Samuel Augustus Fuller. Goodale graduated from the Pomfret School and was an induc…

Source: en.wikipedia.org retrieved May 16, 2026

[Wikipedia: The New York Times] At age 29, Goodale set up the legal department at The New York Times and subsequently became its first General Attorney in 1963. In 1964, the Supreme Court decided New York Times v. Sullivan 9–0 in favor of the New York Times, overturning a libel conviction and establishing the…

Source: en.wikipedia.org retrieved May 16, 2026

[Wikipedia: Pentagon Papers] In March 1971, former Defense Department employee Daniel Ellsberg leaked top secret documents to New York Times reporter Neil Sheehan that revealed the United States true agenda in the Vietnam war known as the Pentagon Papers. Executives at the Times argued for three months abou…

Source: en.wikipedia.org retrieved May 16, 2026

[Wikipedia: Reporter's privilege] In January 1970, as part of a wave of subpoenas issued to national reporters, New York Times reporter Earl Caldwell was subpoenaed by the US Justice Department. Media organizations such as Newsweek, Time, and Life magazines complied with their subpoenas, but Goodale caused the N…

Source: en.wikipedia.org retrieved May 16, 2026

[Wikipedia: Post-New York Times career] Goodale joined Debevoise & Plimpton in 1980, bringing The New York Times as a client with him. He established two practice groups, one for the representation of media companies, particularly new media companies such as cable television, the other for First Amendment and intellec…

Source: en.wikipedia.org retrieved May 16, 2026

FEC totals for the 2024 cycle report that James Goodale reported $0 cash on hand.

Source: api.open.fec.gov retrieved May 7, 2026

[Wikipedia: Controversy] In 2005, Goodale criticized Time editor Norman Pearlstine's decision to turn over reporter Matthew Cooper's notes to the grand jury investigating the leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame's name to the press. "A public company must protect its assets even if that means going into…

Source: en.wikipedia.org retrieved May 16, 2026