Stewart Baker

Baker was born on July 17, 1947, in Poughkeepsie, New York. He is the son of Henry Irving Baker Jr. (1917–1949) and Ruth (Abercrombie) Baker (1918–1965). Baker's father died when he was young, and his mother eventually moved the family to Dearborn, Michigan, supporting them through a career with the Ford Motor Company. Baker attended public high school in Dearborn. Baker obtained his B.A. degree from Brown University in 1969. He received his J.D. degree from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law in 1975. While in law school, he published A Strict Scrutiny of the Right to Travel in the UCLA Law Review (1975). He also served as an intern law clerk to Shirley Hufstedler, U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. == Professional career ==

Following his graduation from law school in 1976, Baker clerked for Frank M. Coffin, United States Court of Appeals, First Circuit. He then clerked for Justice Stevens of the Supreme Court from 1977 to 1978. In 1979, Baker became Deputy General Counsel, Special Assistant to Secretary Shirley Hufstedler, United States Department of Education. He served in this position until 1981. In 1981, Baker joined Steptoe & Johnson LLP. Baker was awarded the Defense Medal for Meritorious Civilian Service in 1994. This report examined the intelligence around weapons of mass destruction prior to the invasion of Iraq and made specific recommendations for change to prevent future intelligence errors. that abrogated significant parts of the published agreement. In 2009, Baker returned to Steptoe where he represented clients until he retired and opened a solo practice in early 2025 (he still holds the record for returning to the firm more times than any other lawyer). From 2013 until his retirement, he also hosted the Cyberlaw Podcast and continued advising on national security and technology issues, writing for several online publications. In recent years, Baker has testified before Congress on Section 702 of FISA. He also contributed to the intelligence sections of Project 2025. ==Death==

Baker died on April 30, 2026, at the age of 78 in Great Falls, Virginia. == See also ==