Biography of Edward, "Eddie," Tabash, Lawyer and Atheist/Secular Humanist

I am a lawyer in the Los Angeles area. I graduated magna cum laude from UCLA in 1973 and obtained my law degree from Loyola Law School of Los Angeles in 1976. I am a member of the California State Bar, the American Bar Association, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, and the Beverly Hills Bar Association.

In 1986, I successfully argued before the California Supreme Court the case of Lyons v. Wickhorst, 42 Cal.3d 911, in which I succeeded in reversing both the trial court and the court of appeal, and thereby secured the right to jury trial regardless of the results of judicially mandated arbitration.

In 1985, I successfully persuaded the California Court of Appeal in Los Angeles to recognize a legal cause of action for negligent spoliation of evidence, in the case of Velasco v. Commercial Building Maintenance Co., 169 Cal. App. 3d 874.

I have filed amicus briefs with the United States Supreme Court, the California Supreme Court, and the California Court of Appeal in cases dealing with the separation of church and state.

As a moderate liberal Democrat, I have been an official campaign speaker and debater for numerous candidates, including Bill Clinton's presidential campaigns and the presidential campaigns of Jimmy Carter.

From 1983 through 1987, I was the California Issues Coordinator for Gary Hart's presidential campaigns.

From 1981 through 1998, I was the most active individual man in the abortion rights movement in California, having debated more professional opponents of a woman's right to choose than anyone else in my state.

My father was an orthodox rabbi from Lithuania. My mother was in Auschwitz survivor from Hungary. After a lifetime of spiritual searching, I have concluded that the best evidence we have, to date, strongly points to a naturalistic universe in which there are no supernatural beings and no God or gods.

I currently chair the national legal committee of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. http://www.au.org. This is a wonderful organization, composed of both believers and nonbelievers, devoted to preserving equality before the law for both believers and nonbelievers.