Mark Goldowitz is the founder and Director of the California Anti-SLAPP Project (CASP), which led the coalition to win enactment of the California anti-SLAPP law in 1992, as well as strengthening amendments in 1997 and 1999. CASP was also a co-sponsor of SB 789 (Kuehl) in 2002, which was intended to prevent corporate abuse of the anti-SLAPP law. The legislation was signed into law in 2003, creating new section 425.17 of the Code of Civil Procedure. CASP was also the sponsor of AB 1158 (Lieber) of 2005, which amended the anti-SLAPP law and created a new section 425.18 of the Code of Civil Procedure, dealing with SLAPPbacks. CASP's web site is www.casp.net.
Goldowitz has prevailed in six published opinions under the anti-SLAPP law, including the first opinion of the California Supreme Court arising from the anti-SLAPP statute, Briggs v. Eden Council for Hope and Opportunity (1999) 19 Cal.4th 1106, and a more recent Supreme Court opinion, Barrett v. Rosenthal (2006) 40 Cal.4th 33, which held that those who republish the words of another on the Internet are immune from civil liability for doing so, under section 230 of the federal Communications Decency Act, 47 USC sec. 230.
Goldowitz has authored a number of articles on the anti-SLAPP statute and his expertise in this area has been recognized in four appellate opinions. He received his B.A. (with honors) from the University of California at Santa Cruz in 1965 and his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1972.
