Maria LaHood is Deputy Legal Director at the Center for Constitutional Rights, with expertise in constitutional rights and international human rights. She works to defend the constitutional rights of Palestinian rights advocates in the United States in cases such as Davis v. Cox, defending Olympia Food Co-op board members for boycotting Israeli goods; Bronner v. Duggan, defending Steven Salaita in cases against him and others for the American Studies Association’s resolution endorsing the call for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions; and Awad v. Fordham, compelling Fordham University to recognize Students for Justice in Palestine as a student club. She works closely with Palestine Legal to support students and others whose speech is being suppressed for their Palestine advocacy around the country. She also works on the Right to Heal initiative with Iraqi civil society and Iraq Veterans seeking accountability for the lasting health effects of the Iraq war. Her past work at the Center for Constitutional Rights includes cases against United States officials, Arar v. Ashcroft, Al-Aulaqi v. Obama, and Al-Aulaqi v. Panetta; against foreign government officials, Matar v. Dichter and Belhas v. Ya’alon; and against corporations, Wiwa v. Royal Dutch/Shell and Corrie v. Caterpillar. Prior to coming to the Center for Constitutional Rights she advocated on behalf of affordable housing and civil rights in the San Francisco Bay Area, and she graduated from the University of Michigan Law School. She was named a 2010 Public Justice Trial Lawyer of the Year Finalist. 

Her writing includes “Poisoning Iraq” on the Huffington Post, “Obama Might Want to Look Forward in 2012, but America's Torture Legacy Will Keep Staring Back” on Truthout, and “The Role of Universal Jurisdiction in the Fight Against Impunity” on Badil, and she has appeared on outlets including Democracy Now!, NPR, and Al Jazeera.