Practice Areas

David I. Schoen has a deep personal interest in and commitment to Israel law and his Israel Practice, he is constantly looking for ways to expand his professional involvement with Israel and Israel related issues.

He has represented AMCHA, an Israel-related human rights organization.  David has traveled to Israel in the course of representing Israeli clients and has advised Israeli clients and Israeli attorneys on issues of American law and has assisted Israeli lawyers investigating cases in the United States.  He has served on a panel organized under the auspices of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations to develop a position on defending Israel’s security fence. He has traveled to Israel as a guest of the Israeli Foreign Ministry for a legal program conducted in Israel and has spoken on several panels concerning Israel related issues. David spoke on a panel on a panel before the Arizona Bar to discuss current legal issues in the relationship between Israel, its neighbors, and international organizations. David led a panel discussion at the United Nations on the ways in which American victims of terrorism can seek justice.

David has had many Israeli clients and has successfully represented them in high profile cases at both the trial and appellate levels in the United States.  He also has arranged for the transfer back to Israel of Israelis convicted of crimes in the United States. His clients in criminal cases have included the alleged leaders of the so-called Israeli Mafia in New York, accused of racketeering charges, including narcotic trafficking and murder as well as other Israelis accused of running the international trade in the drug Ecstasy. A documentary film appeared recently in Israel based on some of these cases and a feature film and documentary are in production currently in the United States. David has served as lead counsel in two major cases in Washington, DC and the Southern District of New York, brought under the Anti-Terrorism Act by victims of terrorism against the PLO, the Palestinian Authority and others. This has required several trips to Israel to depose leaders of terrorist organizations and others and the litigation of complicated motions on cutting edge discovery and international law issues.

On behalf of the Zionist Organization of America, David served as counsel of record for an amicus brief in the United States Supreme Court in support of the American citizen in the so-called Jerusalem Passport case, Zivotofskyv. Kerry.

David also has traveled to Israel twice to represent the United States tennis team in the Maccabiah Games, winning medals on each occasion.