Long Island Legal Briefs: November 29, 2002

Long Island Business News, Nov 29, 2002 by Rosamaria Mancini

Joel Lewittes, a former U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the Southern District of New York, has joined the Garden City law firm of Jaspan Schlesinger Hoffman in an of counsel capacity.

Lewittes joins the firm's bankruptcy reorganization and creditors' rights department, where he will concentrate his practice on Chapter 11 reorganizations, particularly litigation in the bankruptcy and appeals courts.

Before joining Jaspan Schlesinger, Judge Lewittes was a partner at Jenkens & Gilchrist Parker Chapin. He is also a former Assistant Attorney General for the State of New York in charge of litigation.

Lewittes has served on the fee advisory committee in the Eastern Airlines bankruptcy case as well as a mediator in numerous bankruptcy court controversies.

Lewittes received his law degree from Yale University. He is admitted to practice in a number of state and federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, and he is a former president of the Bankruptcy Lawyers Bar Association.

Debt-ridden young attorneys steer clear of public service

Two thirds of law students can't afford to think about taking a public interest or government service job because the salaries for that work are too low to pay their law school debts, according to a recent study.

The study conducted by Partnership for Public Service, Equal Justice Works and the National Association for Law Placement found that because half of law school students average $75,000 in debt after graduation, recruitment in government and public interest law is on shaky ground.

For example, the median income for public-interest lawyers is $35,000, while for a lawyer in private practice it is $90,000. Students tend to pursue the higher salary in order to cover their expenses.

"The pressures of mounting law school tuition and law student debt, along with comparatively lower salaries and flat earnings potential among public interest and government employers, have combined to put public service-oriented law school graduates in an impossible situation," said the 47-page report, called "From Paper Chase to Money Chase: Law School Debt Diverts Road to Public Service."

The report surveyed 1,622 third-year law students at 117 schools across the country and found that 94 percent of them borrowed money for tuition.

In-state tuition at law schools rose 140 percent, while tuition at private schools climbed 76 percent in the past decade, leaving students with debts ranging from $55,000 to $105,000.

The survey also found that while 39 percent of students showed an interest in working for the federal government, only about 3 percent accepted federal jobs. And 68 percent of government law employers reported having difficulty retaining young attorneys.

"The federal government's role in representing the nation in its regulation, policy development and oversight responsibilities demands the most skilled lawyers," the report said, noting that within the next five years about 50 percent of the government attorney workforce would be eligible to retire.

The report suggested that law school alumni assist in raising funds to create scholarship opportunities, specific to public service and government career tracks. It also recommended that lawyers document their recruitment and retainment challenges, particularly as those challenges relate to problems that new attorneys experience in trying to manage large amounts of debt.

And the report suggested that public service employers engage in more outreach activities on law school campuses in order to dispel the myths surrounding employment opportunities in public service sector.

Rivkin Radler receives Partner in Justice award

Uniondale-based Rivkin Radler has been honored with the Partner in Justice Award from the Nassau/Suffolk Law Services Committee for its pro bono work on the organization's landlord-tenant dispute panel.

"The credit for our volunteer lawyer panel goes to my partner Alan Rutkin, who has spearheaded and orchestrated our involvement in this project from the beginning and our associates who gave their time and expertise," said William Savino, Rivkin Radler's managing partner.

The firm was honored at Nassau/Suffolk Law Services' fourth annual Commitment to Justice Dinner. Laurie Bloom, the firm's marketing director, serves on Nassau Suffolk Law Services advisory committee.