FUCHSBERG, JACOB D.

FUCHSBERG, JACOB D. (1913–1995), U.S. jurist. For many years, Fuchsberg was a leading trial lawyer. He argued many cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, hundreds of cases before the New York State Court of Appeals and other appellate courts, and thousands of trials covering almost every facet of litigation. Some of the precedent-setting or socially significant cases he participated in as trial and appellate counsel were Oliver v. Postel, keeping the courts open to the press and public under the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution; the Knights of Pythias case, attacking color discrimination in fraternal organizations; the De Martino "Baby Lenore" case, which led to reform of New York adoption statutes and raised important questions of full faith and credit under the U.S. Constitution and a number of tort cases setting precedents in the award of adequate damages.

Fuchsberg served as president of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (1963–64). In 1974 he was elected judge in the highest appellate court of the State of New York – the New York State Court of Appeal. He retired from the Court of Appeals in 1983 and founded the Jacob D. Fuchsberg law firm.

Fuchsberg wrote Examination of Witnesses (with L. Harolds and J. Kelner, 1965) and compiled Class Actions Primer (1973). He edited and authored a number of books on the law of damages and trial advocacy and wrote many articles on a variety of legal subjects for professional periodicals. He founded and edited Trial Magazine.

Fuchsberg was active in many Jewish causes and served as vice president of the Zionist Organization of America. He represented the New York Conference on Soviet Jewry.

[Julius J. Marcke]