Daniel M Joseph

Daniel M. Joseph, 83, of Bethesda, MD, died unexpectedly in his home on June 17, 2025. Dan was born on August 20, 1941, and grew up in Paterson, NJ. He graduated from the Hun School of Princeton, Columbia University, and Harvard Law School. He served as a federal appellate clerk and then worked for the Department of Justice, the Department of Transportation, and the Environmental Protection Agency before becoming one of the founding lawyers of the Washington, DC office of the law firm now known as Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, where he was a partner for almost fifty years. At Akin Gump, among many other matters, he represented Nobel Prize winner David Baltimore before Congress. He taught a legal writing class to the firm’s associates called “Write or Die” and was Ethics Counsel, continuing to advise the firm during his retirement. He was a member of the DC Bar’s Legal Ethics Committee and chair of the Bar’s Rules of Professional Conduct Review Committee. He also taught at Georgetown University Law Center.

He was a devoted husband, brother, father, and grandfather. Dan was predeceased by his son Charles and is survived by his wife Susan, his brother Charles, his son Nicholas, daughter-in-law Dalia Inbal, and two grandchildren. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Hun School of Princeton.