Haytham Faraj
Attorney at Law
Major, USMC (Ret.)

Haytham Faraj is an attorney with extensive litigation experience practicing from the Washington DC and San Diego CA areas. Mr. Faraj served 22 years in the United States Marine Corps culminating his career in the position of senior military defense counsel at Camp Pendleton, CA, the busiest trial section in the entire U.S. Armed Forces. He also served in several non-legal billets including Company executive officer and commanding officer, Middle East Foreign Area Officer, and infantry officer.  He is fluent in Arabic and has extensive international leadership experience.

Mr. Faraj joined the Marine Corps from his hometown of Chicago, Illinois in 1986. He achieved the rank of staff sergeant and served in a variety of billets including assignment to embassy duty. In 1995 he was selected for the Marine Corps Enlisted Commissioning Education Program (MECEP) and gained entry into the Military College of South Carolina, The Citadel. He completed his BA in Political Science in under three years, graduating Magna Cum Laude and in the top 2% of his class. He was selected to the Commandant of the Marine Corps’ honor roll at The Basic School and was the honor graduate from the Infantry Officer Course in 1996.  In March of 1996, he was assigned to Third Battalion, First Marines at Camp Pendleton, CA, where he served as an infantry platoon commander and an 81 MM Mortar platoon commander. As a platoon commander, he deployed with his platoons to the Western Pacific and Arabian Gulf on several occasions as a member of 11th and 13th Marine Expeditionary Units, Special Operations Capable. Subsequent assignments included Company Commander of the Field and Training Company at Weapons and Field Training Battalion where he was responsible for the field training of over 17,000 recruits annually. In 2000 he was assigned as an Operations Officer and Middle East Foreign Area Officer with the Air and Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO). As a Middle East FAO, he was assigned as a liaison officer to the Armed Forces of the Sultanate of Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan and the UAE. He also participated in negotiating bilateral training agreements and served as an advisor on tactics, training, and equipment. As the Operations Officer for ANGLICO, he led and managed the operations section of the unit and led and directed the functioning of the unit’s staff consisting of logistics, communications, transportation, personnel and training for the 90-man unit which was responsible for providing air, ship and ground based fire support to the First Marine Expeditionary Force.

In 2002, Mr. Faraj was one of ten officers selected to the Marine Corps’ law education program. He attended The American University Washington College of Law and received a Juris Doctorate degree in 2005. While in law school Mr. Faraj interned at a non-profit civil rights organization.  He also interned in the office of the Staff Judge Advocate to the Commandant of the Marine Corps and as prosecutor at Camp Pendleton, CA.  In December of 2005, Mr. Faraj was assigned to the defense section at Camp Pendleton, California.  In early 2006 he assumed leadership of the military defense section as the Senior Defense Counsel.

In his tenure as a Marine Corps military defense counsel gaining a strong reputation for his incisive cross examinations.  Mr. Faraj also gained extensive experience in working with psychologists and psychiatrists to litigate cases involving Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

Mr. Faraj brings the skills of an experienced trial lawyer along with his vast experience as a combat arms and staff officer. His military background, experience, and training make him prepared and qualified to provide aggressive, intelligent, sophisticated and comprehensive legal representation to his clients.

Licensure:

State of Illinois

State of Michigan

District of Columbia

U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois

U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan