Philip Timothy Howard is the former director of the College of Professional Studies' Doctorate Program in Law & Policy at Northeastern University. He is a former Assistant Attorney General of Florida and nominee for United States Attorney

United States Attorney

United States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...

 for the Northern District of Florida. Howard also has a private law practice, Howard & Associates.

Education

In 2005, he received his Ph.D.

Doctor of Philosophy

Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...

, from Northeastern University in Law, Policy & Society, after defending his thesis "We've Been Framed!: Progressive Cause Lawyer Leadership in Florida Tobacco Liability Litigation". He received his Juris Doctor

Juris Doctor

Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...

 from Florida State University

Florida State University

The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...

 in 1986, and was admitted to the bar in 1987. He received his Bachelor of Arts, Cum Laude, in Government, with minors in History, Law & Society, and Spanish, from Florida State University in 1983. He is a former Health Law Scholar and Instructor in Constitutional Law, Civil Liberties, Judicial Process, and Media & Politics at Boston University

Boston University

Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...

.

Benzene

Howard was part of the national counsel in five states and the District of Columbia, attempting to remove ingredients that could possibly form benzene

Benzene

Benzene is an organic chemical compound. It is composed of 6 carbon atoms in a ring, with 1 hydrogen atom attached to each carbon atom, with the molecular formula C6H6....

 under heat exposure from soft drinks. Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...

, Kraft Foods

Kraft Foods

Kraft Foods Inc. is an American confectionery, food and beverage conglomerate. It markets many brands in more than 170 countries. 12 of its brands annually earn more than $1 billion worldwide: Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Trident, Tang...

, PepsiCo

PepsiCo

PepsiCo Inc. is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Purchase, New York, United States, with interests in the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of grain-based snack foods, beverages, and other products. PepsiCo was formed in 1965 with the merger of the Pepsi-Cola Company...

, and Sunny Delight Beverages Co., among others, agreed to remove the benzene-causing ingredients and provide refunds and replacements to consumers.

Soft drinks in schools

He was also counsel for Tufts University

Tufts University

Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...

's and Northeastern University's Public Health Advocacy Institute's efforts to remove soft drinks from schools nationally, and serves on its Board of Directors.

Florida tobacco litigation

Howard was one of the five original creators of Florida's Medicaid Third Party Liability Law, that created the foundation for the largest civil case settlement in the nation's history.

Howard represented Alan Landers

Alan Landers

Alan Landers was an American male model and actor, best known as the "Winston Man", who appeared in advertising for Winston cigarettes.-Biography:...

, the former "Winston Man," until his death in February 2009. Howard also represents, along with the Wilner Block firm, approximately 4,000 Engle progeny tobacco clients, and 6,400 Engle Trust clients.

In 2010, Howard was also involved in the national litigation against Toyota and BP.

Academic Articles

Howard has published several articles on cause lawyers, culture, and social movements, and has made annual presentations before the Law & Society Association. His most recent article, "Cause Lawyers at the Constructive Edge: 'A Band of Brothers Defeats Big Tobacco'" was included in The Cultural Lives of Cause Lawyers, a book published by Cambridge University Press in early 2008.