Philip Rotner is an attorney, engaged citizen, and writer.

Born in Chicago, Philip enrolled at the University of California, Berkeley in 1965 after the Free Speech Movement of 1964 captured his imagination. Leaving a Midwestern suburb for a highly charged world of academic curiosity, cultural change, and student activism was transformational. It was an education in every sense of the word, a pivotal time of learning and self-discovery.

Law and Language

After graduating with a degree in English, Philip enrolled at Harvard Law School. While ultimately he became a practicing attorney—first in Boston, later in San Francisco and New York—his love of language and writing has been an important theme throughout his life.

After 20 years of practicing law at a large San Francisco law firm, Philip accepted a position as general counsel for a global professional services firm. The role demanded getting quickly to the heart of complex situations, making difficult decisions, and communicating clearly to solve problems in a collaborative setting.

A New Chapter Begins

After retiring in 2014, Philip began to channel his energy into political writing. His writing focused initially on the 2016 presidential election and the incoming Trump administration. A writer friend encouraged Philip to submit one of his pieces to the Huffington Post for publication. Huffington Post accepted the article, as well as several more, and then invited Philip to become a member of its outside contributor network. Over the course of the next year, until it discontinued the network, Huffington Post published and promoted some 70 of Philip’s articles.

More recently, dozens of Philip’s pieces have been published in The Bulwark, a news network launched in 2018 dedicated to providing political analysis and reporting free from the constraints of partisan loyalties or tribal prejudices.

In his writing, Philip uses many of the same tools he used in his professional career: careful research, an ability to connect the dots to get straight to the heart of a matter, and a knack for bringing clarity to a complex set of facts.

“I feel a responsibility to do something that can have an impact, even if only on a handful of people. Some people march. Some write letters to their congressmen. Some run for office. I write.”

While Philip has focused on politics in his recent writing, it is only one of his many interests. He and his wife, Janet, have eclectic interests, including theater, music, film, and global travel, among others. He anticipates that the focus of his writing will broaden to include content on these topics in addition to his political pieces.

Philip’s views are his own and do not reflect the views of any organization with which he has been associated.

Philip’s Writing

Each of Philip’s political articles springs from an interest in exploring complex, misunderstood, or underreported issues. His work spans the range of political subjects, from domestic and foreign policy to scandals and investigations. Every piece has one of four purposes:

Vantage Points

Analyses that bring fresh perspective to crucial current topics.

Opinion Pieces

Edgy pieces that take a partisan stance.

Explanatory Essays

Informative articles that clarify issues often poorly understood.

Immediate Analysis

Quick-turnaround content that explains the significance of breaking news.