The son of Polish-born Zbigniew Brzezinski, President Jimmy Carter’s national security adviser, and brother of Mika Brzezinski of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Mark Brzezinski came to UVA Law after majoring in government at Dartmouth College. What attracted him to UVA?

“Where UVA is situated is very beautiful, but it was really the commitment to public service,” he said. “So much of what UVA stands for is public service and giving back to a larger set of goals. I wanted to be part of that community.”

What he remembers most about the Law School was how rigorous the curriculum was, but also how willing classmates were to “jump in and help each other.”

“That’s the amazing, beautiful, wonderful thing about the UVA Law School, and it was a huge teachable moment for me,” he said.

And that, he said, is also the ethos of diplomacy. “Challenges like pandemics and economic uncertainties are not just American challenges, they’re international challenges. The essence of diplomacy is to bring collective impact to a challenge.”

Brzezinski’s new post is a homecoming of sorts. From 1991 to 1995, he was a Fulbright scholar at the Polish Constitutional Court, an Oxford-Soros Lecturer at the University of Warsaw and a National Forum Foundation Fellow at the Warsaw-based Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights.

His 1997 book, “The Struggle for Constitutionalism in Poland,” was the outcome of his Oxford University doctoral thesis. “It has 400 footnotes!” he said. “The research and the interest I have is personal.”

The book had its roots at UVA. “It evolved from a note I wrote in the Virginia Law Review, ‘Law v. Power: The Case of Poland,’” Brzezinski recalled. “I dove into research into the steps taken by Poles over the centuries to wrestle with constitutionalism.”

He said he remains grateful to David A. Martin, Warner-Booker Distinguished Professor of International Law Emeritus, and A.E. Dick Howard (UVA Law Class of 1961), who currently holds that chair, for their insights and guidance.

More than two decades later, Poland still faces significant challenges. Its government, under the Law and Justice Party, has consistently moved the country to the right, clamping down on immigration, protest, media freedom, freedom of speech and LGBTQ+ protections.

“There’s a difference,” Brzezinski said, “between a constitution and constitutionalism. The former is a document, the latter a state of mind. Power can only act within a constitution. One of my missions is to convey that America embraces equality, America embraces democracy and America embraces the rule of law.”

He is undaunted by the political situation in Poland.

“Two things can be true at once,” he said. “First, the United States stands foursquare with Poles over their sovereignty and security, NATO Article 5” – which ensures mutual defense – “and their freedom and independence.

“A second thing is also true: The United States is committed to democracy, the rule of law and the practice of equality. I am hopeful that we’re going to make constructive progress that lifts up both American and Polish priorities.”

He also plans – using social media and with the help of @AmbassadogTeddy – to engage in people-to-people diplomacy.

Even before he could take up residence in Warsaw, Brzezinski had a diplomatic mission: to engage with the Polish government over “Lex TVN,” a bill passed by the parliament that would have banned foreign ownership of media. It would have taken away the license for one of the country’s leading broadcast networks, TVN, because its parent company is U.S.-based Discovery Inc.

Polish President Andrzej Duda vetoed the law on Dec. 27. “President Duda himself was enforcing the rule of law,” Brzezinski said. “It was an important signal by the Polish president about the protection of private property.”

In a sense, Brzezinski’s appointment closes a circle that began with his paternal grandfather, Tadeusz Brzezinski, a Polish diplomat and consular official. “He was consul general in Lyon, Leipzig and Lviv, Ukraine, and in 1938 he was deployed to Canada,” he said. “That probably saved his life, because the Nazis went out of their way to kill diplomats.”

After serving as consul general in Montreal until the Communist takeover of Poland after World War II, Tadeusz sold insurance door to door.

“He would have loved to have been ambassador,” said his grandson, who bears a striking resemblance. “Because of his memory, I will not take this role for granted. I am profoundly grateful to President Biden for giving me this opportunity to put into practice his policies in terms of security, advancing shared values, and bringing our countries closer together.”

Brzezinski also plans to bring his ambassadorship closer to UVA. He said he’s been in touch with law Dean Risa L. Goluboff and others at the University about how to build bridges between UVA and Poland – much as he did during his ambassadorial years in Sweden.

“Poland is innovative and filled with potential,” he said. “UVA gave me gifts I can never repay, but I can share knowledge and competencies with its students.”