Daniel Pines

Biographical Sketch

Daniel Pines worked in the Office of General Counsel (OGC) at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for 26 years before retiring in August 2025. During his CIA career, Professor Pines served in OGC’s Litigation Division and Administrative Law Division, and as legal advisor to numerous CIA mission centers and departments, to include the CounterTerrorism Mission Center, the Western Hemisphere Mission Center and the South and Central Asia Mission Center. He also chaired OGC’s Training Subcommittee for more than a decade. In addition to earning numerous awards during his career, to include a Meritorious Unit Citation for work on a criminal prosecution, Professor Pines received the Career Intelligence Medal (CIM) upon his retirement.

Professor Pines is also the author of a number of law review articles on national security issues, to include articles on rendition operations, the Totten Doctrine, maritime piracy, and the constitutional rights of CIA employees.

Prior to joining the CIA, Professor Pines was a litigator at the law firm of Richards, Watson & Gerson in Los Angeles.