TEACHING, WRITING, & SERVING AS SPECIAL TRIAL COUNSEL 

TEACHING

Mr. Steinglass was a volunteer faculty instructor in Harvard Law School’s intensive Trial Advocacy Workshop several times between 2003 and 2009. In week-long sessions, he helped students learn how to try cases, including presentation and cross-examination of experts.

He was also volunteer faculty instructor several times at Cardozo Law School’s intensive trial advocacy program.

Mr. Steinglass has participated in teaching professional responsibility (ethics rules) to lawyers and law students at Pace Law School, Brooklyn Law School, the Practising Law Institute, and the New York City Bar Association.

REDUCING TIME IN JAIL FROM ARREST TO ARRAIGNMENT IN NYC

It used to be that, before being brought to court, a person arrested in New York City was kept in a cell for 2-3 days before being brought to court. It did not matter whether the person was innocent, whether the crime was minor, whether the person had deep roots in the community and should be released on little or no bail, or whether it was very unlikely that a jail sentence would ever be imposed. And, there was no way to expedite getting the person to the first court appearance ("arraignment"), so he or she could be released.

Mr. Steinglass was the principal author of the New York City Bar Association’s "friend of court" brief to the New York Court of Appeals in the case which set the maximum time for arrest to arraignment at 24 hours unless there is a good reason for more delay. People ex rel. Maxian v. Brown, 77 N.Y.2d 422 (1991).

The result of this decision was an immediate reduction in arraignment delay to about 24 hours. Considering the enormous number of arrests in New York City each year, Mr. Steinglass estimates that, over the past 25 years, well over 1 million people have each been spared 1-2 unnecessary days in a cell.

Over the years, arraignment delay has been further reduced and is often much less than 24 hours.

For example, Mr. Steinglass recently accompanied clients to Manhattan police stations at about 8:45 a.m. to "surrender" (in lieu of being arrested). The clients were released in night court less than 12 hours later.

CRIMINAL TRIAL ADVOCACY HANDBOOK

Mr. Steinglass was a contributing author to the Appellate Division, First Department’s Criminal Trial Advocacy handbook (1984-1999).

SPECIAL TRIAL COUNSEL IN A LAWYER DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDING

Mr. Steinglass donated his time to serve as special trial counsel for the Appellate Division, First Department’s Disciplinary Committee (1992-93), prosecuting a disciplinary charge against a lawyer for forgery.