Zachary Navit

Zachary Navit is currently enrolled in the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America, where his studies focus on the First Amendment and the rights that it grants to American citizens. He currently maintains a GPA of 3.587 and is on the 2012-13 Deans List. He plans to graduate in May of 2015 with his Juris Doctor Degree.

As part of his legal training, Zachary also does intern work this summer as a law clerk in the courts of Philadelphia. Here he works in the Court of Common Pleas under the Honorable Pamela Pryor Dembe. His duties include drafting and editing memoranda, attending oral arguments, and assisting with administrative duties. He also conducts legal research through Westlaw Next and LexisNexis.

In addition, Zachary Navit, along with two of his classmates, volunteers for pro bono work with Washington, D.C.’s Newseum as part of their continuing legal education. The Newseum is an interactive museum of journalism and news that was established in 1997. Here Zachary conducts more legal research utilizing LexisNexis and Westlaw Next. He is also in charge of writing new drafts and editing written drafts, particularly those pertaining to pickets at funerals.

On his downtime, Zachary loves to travel, especially around the European continent. He also enjoys cooking, the outdoors, and relaxing on the beach with his family. He is an avid golfer and gardener who enjoys caring for his lawn and garden. He is also a big fan of Ken Follett and John Grisham novels.

Zachary Navit’s current passion is legal advocacy, but that’s not where he started out at with his goals. A lifelong learner, Zachary’s education and career ambitions have led him down several different avenues. What never changed, however, was his desire to help people in whatever capabilities that he could. He has remained focused on becoming a representative of the interests of society and has risen to the top of his prospective field because of the import he has placed on education.

Zachary’s Education

In 1985, Zachary Navit graduated from Cardinal Brennan High School in Fountain Springs, PA. That same year, he moved to Wynnewood, PA and enrolled in the Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. In 1989 he graduated from Saint Charles for the first time with a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in Philosophy and magna cum laude distinction.

Immediately after graduating, Zachary Navit re-enrolled in the school’s graduate program to seek his Master’s. He earned it in 1993 when he graduated magna cum laude again, this time with a Master’s of Divinity Degree in Systematic Theology. He followed this up a year later in 1994 with another degree, this one a Master’s of Arts Degree in Pastoral Theology, and yet another magna cum laude distinction.

This impressive amount of education prepared Zachary for his ministry until his career expansion from theological venues to legal ones. In 2012, Zachary took the first big step of his career transition by attending the International Human Rights Summer Law Program in Rome, Italy. While attending this program, Zachary studied several different facets of human rights law in courses such as the following.

• International human rights law
• The role of the judge and the Interpretation of human rights instruments
• Catholic social thought

Zachary Navit’s most recent educational pursuit is his recent enrollment in law school. Zachary now attends the Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law, where he studies human rights more in depth, particularly those rights that are covered by the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights in America’s Constitution. Here Zachary is also involved with Phi Alpha Delta, a professional service organization for students, educators, and professionals in the legal field. Zachary plans to graduate in May of 2015 with a Juris Doctor Degree, which will put him on the path to a full-blown legal career.

Zachary’s Work Experience

Zachary’s first major work experience was with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. In 2009, Zachary held the position of Director for the Office of Special Products, where he helped organize, plan, and execute special events and activities all across the local community. Part of these duties involved the coordination of group travel plans, both within and outside of the country, which would prove useful experience for Zachary later on. He was also the Director of the Office of Closures, which was in charge of repurposing items from closed entities. Beyond these duties, Zachary helped implement and evaluate best-practice programs as well as manage and train volunteer workers.

In 2011, Zachary Navit began work in new directions. He pursued works as a Travel Consultant for Select International Tours. His previous skills coordinating travel plans for the Archdiocese served him well here as he planned, organized, and executed travel plans for his new client groups. Zachary was also put in charge of designing and editing Select International Tours’ published material, including planning guides and promotional material. He also interacted directly with customers in discussing and arranging transportation, accommodation, and financial options for the trips.

2011 is also when Zachary joined the Typecast Press/TCP Printing Company the Vice President of Administration. Zachary’s main duties involved managing human resources, mergers, transitions, and acquisitions and assessing best-practices. Employee evaluation, placement, benefits, and the company payroll all also fell under Zachary’s jurisdiction.

In late 2012, Zachary Navit moved his position with Typecast Press/TCP from Vice President to Consultant, a position that he still holds to this day. His position as a Consultant for Select International Tours is also still current.

Lately, most of Zachary’s work has been done in conjunction with his law school education. This includes his pro bono volunteer work for the Newseum, where he researches freedom of speech drafts and conducts legal research. This also includes his summer internship with the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas under President Judge Pamela Dembe, where he helps with memoranda drafts and other administrative issues.

Zachary’s Philanthropy

Zachary Navit’s drive to help others has manifested itself not just in his career choices but in his social ones as well. Zachary belongs to the four different service organizations listed below.

Through his enrollment with the Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law, Zachary is a member of Phi Alpha Delta. PAD is a service outreach fraternity organization for lawyers, law students, pre-law students, legal educators, judges, attorneys, and other such members of the field of law. Through serving their community, PAD members support the causes of integrity, courage, and compassion.

Zachary is also a member of the Union League of Philadelphia, an exclusive social organization made up entirely from community leaders in the Philadelphia area. The Union League began as an organization in the Civil War dedicated to supporting the Union and President Lincoln against the rebellion. Today, the League is dedicated to serving the community through civic organization and the sharing of history.

The Knights of Columbus is a Catholic fraternity benefits organization of which Zachary is a fourth degree member. This organization includes financial aid to members and their families when needed, such as in the cases of disability, illness, or other such financial need. The Knights also promote social and intellectual fellowship amongst its members.

Lastly, Zachary is a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, an honorific organization that promotes healthy Christian life practices amongst its members and adherents. The Order can trace its history all the way back to the time of the First Crusades. Today, the Order helps aid the charitable, social, and cultural works of the Catholic Church, of which Zachary Navit is a member.

Zachary Navit’s plans for the future involve obtaining his Juris Doctor Degree by graduating from his law school in the summer of 2015. Afterward, Zachary plans to become an advocate for the First Amendment rights of those who cannot for whatever reason advocate for themselves. He is particularly interested in helping immigrants, with whom he already has extensive experience working through matters of legal rights.

“I saw those in need who needed help and needed advocacy,” Zachary says of his decision to go into the field of legal rights. “Some many people need help identifying and protecting their rights, especially those involving first amendment rights, so that others do not take advantage of these rights. I want to do that work and offer that assistance.”

Zachary is not alone in his ambitions, or in his passionate support of First Amendment rights. Issues concerning the personal freedoms promised by the First Amendment are cropping up in recent events seemingly more than ever before. Cases concerning potential First Amendment violations keep making headline news, from the recent NSA privacy scandal to a recent ruling by the Supreme Court that the allocation of government funding be held to the same rules of free speech as all other government actions.

According to Zachary Navit, these instances of governmental attempts to impede or limit First Amendment rights are only becoming more and more of an important issue. This, he says, is exactly why he got into law to begin with – to protect these freedoms from those who would attempt to subvert them. It is this passion that drives Zachary in his legal education as it has driven him in many other facets of his life.