Jacob David Fuchsberg (June 14, 1913,

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

– August 27, 1995,

Port Chester Port Chester is a village in the U.S. state of New York and the largest part of the town of Rye in Westchester County by population. At the 2010 U.S. census, the village of Port Chester had a population of 28,967 and was the fifth-most popul ...

Westchester County, New York Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population o ...

) was an American lawyer and politician. He was elected to the Court of Appeals as an associate judge in 1974, and retired from the position in 1983.

Life

He graduated from

New York University School of Law New York University School of Law (NYU Law) is the law school of New York University, a private research university in New York City. Established in 1835, it is the oldest law school in New York City and the oldest surviving law school in New ...

in 1936, and commenced practice as a trial lawyer in New York City. In 1938, he married Shirley Cohen, and they had four children. From 1957 to 1959, he was President of the New York State Trial Lawyer Association, and from 1963 to 1964 President of the American Trial Lawyer Association (ATLA). From 1965 on, he was President of the

Roscoe Pound Nathan Roscoe Pound (October 27, 1870 – June 30, 1964) was an American legal scholar and educator. He served as Dean of the University of Nebraska College of Law from 1903 to 1911 and Dean of Harvard Law School from 1916 to 1936. He was a membe ...

-ATLA Foundation. In

1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, U.S. ...

, he filed a petition to challenge the Democratic designees in a

primary election Primary elections, or direct primary are a voting process by which voters can indicate their preference for their party's candidate, or a candidate in general, in an upcoming general election, local election, or by-election. Depending on the ...

to be nominated for

Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals refers to the position of chief judge on the New York Court of Appeals. They are also known as the Chief Judge of New York. The chief judge supervises the seven-judge Court of Appeals. In addition, th ...

. He won the primary, but was defeated in the general election by Republican/Liberal

Charles D. Breitel Charles David Breitel (December 12, 1908, New York City – December 1, 1991, Manhattan, New York City) was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He was Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals from 1974 to 1978. Private life ...

. In

1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; f ...

, he challenged again the Democratic designees in a primary election to be nominated for the

New York Court of Appeals The New York Court of Appeals is the highest court in the Unified Court System of the State of New York. The Court of Appeals consists of seven judges: the Chief Judge and six Associate Judges who are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by t ...

, and defeated Judge Harold A. Stevens. In the general election, he defeated again Stevens who ran on the

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...

and

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

tickets, although the

New York City Bar Association The New York City Bar Association (City Bar), founded in 1870, is a voluntary association of lawyers and law students. Since 1896, the organization, formally known as the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, has been headquartered in a ...

had urged the voters to defeat Fuchsberg. Fuchsberg was the first judge in the history of the Court to be censured by its members for

misconduct Misconduct is wrongful, improper, or unlawful conduct motivated by premeditated or intentional purpose or by obstinate indifference to the consequences of one's acts. It is an act which is forbidden or a failure to do that which is required. Misc ...

. He resigned from the bench in May 1983, and resumed the practice of law in a firm with his children Rosalind and Alan. He served on the Board of Trustees of New York University and

Touro College Touro University is a private Jewish university system headquartered in New York City, with branches throughout the United States as well as one each in Germany, Israel and Russia. It was founded by Bernard Lander in 1971 and named for Isaac an ...

. He assisted in the establishment of the Touro Law school which was named in his honor as "Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center." On August 27, 1995, he felt dizzy at his home in

Harrison, New York Harrison is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States, northeast of Manhattan. The population was 28,218 at the 2020 census. History Harrison was established in 1696 by a patent granted by the British government to John Harrison a ...

, and was brought by ambulance to the United Hospital in Port Chester where he died from

cardiac arrest Cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. It is a medical emergency that, without immediate medical intervention, will result in sudden cardiac death within minutes. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and possib ...

Family

He was "survived by his wife of 57 years," and their four children, ten grandchildren, and four great grandchildren. Fuchsberg's surviving siblings include a sister and three brothers, two of whom (Abraham and Seymour), with one another, are "partners in Fuchsberg & Fuchsberg."

References

Sources

''The History of the New York Court of Appeals, 1932-2003''
by Bernard S. Meyer, Burton C. Agata & Seth H. Agata (page 29)
Court of Appeals judges
in NYT on August 28, 1995

in NYT on October 25, 1974 (subscription required)

External links

The Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Firm : The Fuchsberg LegacyTouro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fuchsberg, Jacob David 1913 births 1995 deaths 20th-century American Jews Judges of the New York Court of Appeals New York University School of Law alumni People from Harrison, New York People from Manhattan 20th-century American judges