[1] He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and economics from Cornell University in 1998 and a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 2007.

In 2008 and 2009, he served as an appellate attorney in the United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.

From 2013 to 2017, he served as deputy assistant and counsel to President Barack Obama, in addition to legal advisor to the United States National Security Council.

During his confirmation process, he was criticized for his lobbying work on behalf of Huawei and China's Ministry of Commerce during his time at Sidley Austin.

[5] On September 5, 2023, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Fonzone to serve as the United States assistant attorney general for the Office of Legal Counsel.