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Alan Douglas Bersin (born October 15, 1946) is an American lawyer. He also serves as an Inaugural Senior Fellow in the Homeland Security Project at the Belfer Center at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, as a Global Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars, and as Inaugural North America Fellow at the Canada Institute and the Mexico Institute (Wilson Center). He is Chairman of the consulting firm BorderWorks Group, and Executive Chairman of Altana Trade. Bersin spent the better part of two decades practicing at the Los Angeles law firm of Munger, Tolles & Olson, rising to become a senior partner. He then served in turn as the US Attorney for the Southern District of California and the US Border Czar, the Superintendent of the San Diego City Schools, the California Secretary of Education, and the Chairman of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority. He was then the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary for International Affairs and Special Representative for Border Affairs, the Commissioner of
U.S. Customs and Border Protection United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the largest federal law enforcement agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security. It is the country's primary border control organization, charged with regulating and facilita ...
overseeing its 58,000-employee work force and operating budget of $12 billion, the DHS Assistant Secretary for International Affairs and Chief Diplomatic Officer, and the Vice President of
INTERPOL The International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL (abbreviated as ICPO–INTERPOL), commonly known as Interpol ( , ; stylized in allcaps), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and crime cont ...
for the Americas Region and a member of the INTERPOL Executive Committee.


Early and personal life

Bersin was born in 1946 to Jewish parents, Arthur Bersin and Mildred (Laikin) Bersin, in
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
, New York."B'klyn Rhodes Scholars Hope for New Ideas,"
''Daily News''.
His paternal grandparents were Russian Jewish immigrants Jacob and Rose Bersin."Arthur Bersin Obituary,"
''San Diego Tribune''.
He is a member of Congregation Beth Israel in San Diego. He is fluent in Spanish. He attended public schools and Hebrew school in New York City. Bersin attended Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, where he was a valedictorian. In his senior year at the high school, he wrote an essay that won first place in the High School Contest on the United Nations, sponsored by the American Association for the United Nations, won a citation from the Mayor’s Committee on Scholastic Achievement, and was the co-editor of ''Vanguard'', the student newspaper. Bersin is married to Lisa Foster, a Judge in the San Diego Superior Court. The couple has three daughters.


College and law school

Bersin received an A.B. in American government from
Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate education, undergraduate college of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Part of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Scienc ...
(''magna cum laude'') in 1968, where he was secretary of the Kirkland House and vice president of Pi Eta. While at Harvard he won the Detur Prize for distinguished application to studies, and the James Bryant Conant Award for the best essay in
natural science Natural science or empirical science is one of the branches of science concerned with the description, understanding and prediction of natural phenomena, based on empirical evidence from observation and experimentation. Mechanisms such as peer ...
."Alan Bersin, Acting Assistant Secretary, Office of Policy,"
Department of Homeland Security.
He was also elected to the
Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States. It was founded in 1776 at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences, ...
honor society. Playing
defensive lineman In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line (OL), while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line (D ...
,
offensive guard Offensive may refer to: * Offensive (military), type of military operation * Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative (Netherlands), Socialist Alternative * Fighting words, spoken words which would have a tende ...
, and
linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...
for the Harvard Crimson football team, which went undefeated in 1968, Bersin was named to the First Team All-
Ivy League The Ivy League is an American collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference of eight Private university, private Research university, research universities in the Northeastern United States. It participates in the National Collegia ...
(in 1967 with among others Hank Paulson, Calvin Hill, Robert Hoffman, and Brian Dowling, and honorable mention in 1966), All-New England, and All-East (in 1967) football teams and was named an AP Honorable Mention All American."Bersin, Alan, Previous Commissioner,"
allgov.com.
He was awarded post-graduate scholarships by the
National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
and the National Football Hall of Fame. In 1995 he was inducted into the Harvard Varsity Club Hall of Fame. Bersin then attended
Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1263 by nobleman John I de Balliol, it has a claim to be the oldest college in Oxford and the English-speaking world. With a governing body of a master and aro ...
as a
Rhodes Scholar The Rhodes Scholarship is an international Postgraduate education, postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford in Oxford, United Kingdom. The scholarship is open to people from all backgrounds around the world. Esta ...
from 1969 to 1971. Bersin received a maximum annual stipend of $2,760. In 1974, Bersin obtained a J.D. degree from
Yale Law School Yale Law School (YLS) is the law school of Yale University, a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was established in 1824. The 2020–21 acceptance rate was 4%, the lowest of any law school in the United ...
. He was awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws (Honorary) by the
University of San Diego The University of San Diego (USD) is a Private university, private Catholic Church, Catholic research university in San Diego, California, United States. Chartered in 1949 as the independent San Diego College for Women and San Diego University ...
in 1994, by California Western School of Law in 1996, and by the Thomas Jefferson School of Law in 2000.


Career


Early years


Munger, Tolles & Olson

Bersin practiced at the Los Angeles law firm of Munger, Tolles & Olson from 1974 to 1992, and rose to be a senior partner. He specialized in complex
RICO The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act is a United States federal law that provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization. RICO was ...
, securities, commercial, and insurance litigation. In 1992, he took a sabbatical and moved to San Diego to teach at the
University of San Diego The University of San Diego (USD) is a Private university, private Catholic Church, Catholic research university in San Diego, California, United States. Chartered in 1949 as the independent San Diego College for Women and San Diego University ...
law school and work on
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...
’s presidential campaign.


U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California, and Border Czar

Bersin then served as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of California for five years, having been appointed by his former Rhodes Scholar classmate President
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...
.Mrs. Feinstein (June 9, 1998)
"TRIBUTE TO U.S. ATTORNEY ALAN D. BERSIN,"
''Congressional Record - Senate''.
From 1995 to 1998, he served as the Attorney General’s Southwest Border Representative, coordinating law enforcement on the border between the U.S. and Mexico, and was nicknamed the "Border Czar."


San Diego Superintendent of Public Education

From 1998 to 2005 he served as Superintendent of Public Education in San Diego City Schools, in control of the eighth-largest urban school district in the U.S. Speaking as to what he believed needed change, Bersin said: "Seniority counts above competence. This is anachronistic and makes no sense." He launched a major reorganization of the urban school district to focus its resources on instruction and on modernization of business infrastructure. During that time, between 2000 and 2003, he was a member—and then Chairman—of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.


California Secretary of Education

From July 2005 to December 2006 Bersin served as California's Secretary of Education, having been appointed by California Governor
Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, businessman, former politician, and former professional bodybuilder, known for his roles in high-profile action films. Governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger, ...
. Schwarzenegger then appointed Bersin to the
California State Board of Education The California State Board of Education is the governing and policy-making body of the California Department of Education. The State Board of Education sets K-12 education policy in the areas of standards, instructional materials, assessment, an ...
, where he served as a member until 2009.


Chairman of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority

Bersin then served as Chairman of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, having been appointed by San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders in December 2006. In 2007, the nonprofit electronic journalism outlet voiceofsandiego.org reported that Bersin was considering a run for
San Diego City Attorney The San Diego City Attorney is an elected official who serves as the chief legal adviser to the City of San Diego. The city attorney is responsible for representing the city government in legal matters and for prosecuting misdemeanor and infracti ...
.


Department of Homeland Security


DHS Secretary for International Affairs, and Special Representative for Border Affairs

On April 15, 2009, Homeland Security Secretary
Janet Napolitano Janet Ann Napolitano (; born November 29, 1957) is an American politician, lawyer, and academic administrator. She served as president of the University of California from 2013 to 2020, on the faculty at the Goldman School of Public Policy at t ...
announced the appointment of Bersin as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary for International Affairs and Special Representative for Border Affairs. In the press release announcing his appointment, Secretary Napolitano said, "Alan brings years of vital experience working with local, state and international partners to help us meet the challenges we face at our borders. He will lead the effort to make our borders safe while working to promote commerce and trade." In 2009, Bersin served as Assistant Secretary and Special Representative for Border Affairs in DHS. He was the lead DHS representative on border affairs and strategy that related to security, immigration, narcotics, and trade, as well as for coordinating DHS border security initiatives.


Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection

From March 2010 to 2011, Bersin served as Commissioner of
U.S. Customs and Border Protection United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the largest federal law enforcement agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security. It is the country's primary border control organization, charged with regulating and facilita ...
(CBP). He oversaw the operations of CBP’s 58,000-employee work force, and managed a $12 billion operating budget. He oversaw CBP’s efforts to secure the borders of the U.S. and mitigate threats to it, while at the same time supporting facilitation on legal trade and travel by increasing CBP's collaboration with the trade community and speeding up customs clearance and duty settlement for approved importers. His recess appointment by President Obama in 2010 was effective with the same power and authority as if he had been confirmed until the end of the next session of Congress. Through the rest of 2010 and 2011, Republicans in the
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
refused to hold a vote although it held confirmation hearings on the nomination, so in December 2011 he resigned."CBP Commissioner Alan Bersin resigns,"
''DC Velocity''.


DHS Assistant Secretary for International Affairs, and Chief Diplomatic Officer

Starting in January 2012 and through 2017, Bersin served as Assistant Secretary for International Affairs, and as DHS Chief Diplomatic Officer. He oversaw DHS’s international engagement, was the DHS Secretary's principal advisor on international affairs, and led the DHS activities in strategic planning and policy formulation. He also served as Vice President of
INTERPOL The International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL (abbreviated as ICPO–INTERPOL), commonly known as Interpol ( , ; stylized in allcaps), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and crime cont ...
for the Americas Region, and was a member of the INTERPOL Executive Committee, from when he was elected to those positions in November 2012 until 2015."Alan Bersin,"
Wilson Center.


Covington & Burling

After leaving government service, Bersin became a senior advisor at the international law firm
Covington & Burling Covington & Burling LLP is an American multinational law firm. Known as a white-shoe law firm, it is headquartered in Washington, D.C. and advises clients on transactional, litigation, regulatory, and public policy matters. The firm has addition ...
."Alan Bersin; Harvard Kennedy School; Senior Fellow, Belfer Center, Harvard Kennedy School; Global Fellow, Wilson Center,"
Criminal Investigations and Network Analysis (CINA) Center.


Philanthropy and other activities

In 2014, Bersin announced the Mildred and Arthur Bersin Scholarship, to be awarded to students from Gompers Preparatory Academy, Abraham Lincoln High School, and the Preuss School who are accepted into
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
. He also donated a new weight room to Abraham Lincoln High School. He has also funded a Curtis-Liman Fellow to work with the Liman Center and Yale Law School’s clinical program on issues of
criminal law Criminal law is the body of law that relates to crime. It proscribes conduct perceived as threatening, harmful, or otherwise endangering to the property, health, safety, and Well-being, welfare of people inclusive of one's self. Most criminal l ...
enforcement and immigration."Liman Center Awards 2024-25 Public Interest Fellowships,"
Yale Law School.
He served as a member of the Board of Overseers for Harvard University (2004–10), and the Chair of the Visiting Committee for the
Harvard Graduate School of Education The Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) is the education school of Harvard University, a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1920, it was the first school to grant the EdD degree and the first ...
(2007–10). He is a member of the
Council on Foreign Relations The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an American think tank focused on Foreign policy of the United States, U.S. foreign policy and international relations. Founded in 1921, it is an independent and nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organi ...
and of the Pacific Council on International Policy. He serves as an Inaugural Senior Fellow in the Homeland Security Project at the Belfer Center at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government; as a Global Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars in Washington D.C.; as Inaugural North America Fellow at the Canada Institute and the Mexico Institute (Wilson Center); and as a member of the Advisory Committee to the Quebec Government Office in Washington. He is Chairman of BorderWorks Group, a consulting firm specializing in border security and management; and Executive Chairman of Altana Trade, which is devoted to providing machine learning and artificial intelligence-based insights on border management and global trade.


Works

*Alan Bersin, Chappell Lawson, Juliette N. Kayyem (2020).
Beyond 9/11; Homeland Security for the Twenty-First Century
', MIT Press, *Austen D. Givens, Nathan E. Busch, Alan Douglas Bersin (2021).
Homeland Security; An Introduction
', Oxford University Press, * Lorraine McCall, Lars Karlsson, Philip Kretsedemas, Maria Burns, Thomas P.M. Barnett, Alan Bersin, Christopher M. Ellis, William Rials, Thomas P. Russo (2023).
Immigration, the Borderlands, and the Resilient Homeland
', Bernan Press,


See also

* List of U.S. executive branch czars * List of Rhodes Scholars


References


External links


Biography
at U.S. Department of Homeland Security * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bersin, Alan Living people 1946 births Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford American people of Russian-Jewish descent American Rhodes Scholars California lawyers Harvard College alumni People associated with Munger, Tolles & Olson Lawyers from Brooklyn Recess appointments State cabinet secretaries of California United States attorneys for the Southern District of California United States Department of Homeland Security officials Yale Law School alumni 20th-century American Jews 21st-century American Jews