Renowned Buffalo criminal defense attorney Herbert L. Greenman was honored by the New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers with its 2015 Hon. Thurgood S. Marshall Award for Outstanding Criminal Practitioner. The award was presented at a ceremony held January 29 in New York City.
Click here for Buffalo Law Journal’s coverage of Mr. Greenman’s award.
Click here for an article in the Buffalo News about the honor.
“We should always be progressive”
The Law Journal article notes that, during a recent presentation, Mr. Greenman quoted William Skretny, chief U.S. judge, Western District of New York, saying “The status quo should be questioned.”
In the article, Mr. Greenman says, “I thought to myself, ‘That is really the essence of being an attorney — to question the status quo and make a determination with that in mind. The law changes, and we should never be stuck with what we have simply because it’s the way it’s been. We should always be progressive.”
This attitude, the article notes, helped earned Mr. Greenman the prestigious award. The Marshall Award is presented each year to an attorney who exemplifies the NYSACDL’s mission of protecting the rights of criminal defendants through a strong, unified, and well-trained criminal defense bar.
Elite, but not elitist
Mr. Greenman was introduced at the award ceremony by Tim Hoover, another noted Buffalo criminal defense attorney and a member of the NYSACDL board. Mr. Hoover said, “Our system of justice, his clients, and all of the criminal defense lawyers in Western New York are better for Herb’s incredible efforts and career. Herb’s skill in combining all the facets required to successfully represent people is unmatched. His knowledge of the law is boundless, particularly in suppression issues and scenarios.”
Mr. Hoover continued, “Herb is an elite practitioner with a statewide reputation, but he is not elitist — far from it. He is the epitome of humility. He is a particularly gifted teacher and mentor. Herb is a lawyer’s lawyer because of the dozens and dozens of lawyers he has trained, mentored, and counseled over the years.”
Credits his criminal defense peers
The article notes that Mr. Greenman said he works hard for his clients when presenting a case but is a firm believer in honesty at all times. Criminal defense attorneys as a whole do it the right way in Western New York, Mr. Greenman is quoted saying.
For over 40 years, Mr. Greenman has concentrated his practice in the area of criminal defense. A senior partner in Lipsitz Green Scime Cambria’s Criminal Defense Trials and Appeals Practice Area, Mr. Greenman has extensive experience in matters that include criminal trials, criminal appeals, constitutional law, narcotic cases, and search and seizure. He is often called upon to speak as a guest lecturer on criminal defense matters, and he has won a number of the industry’s most prestigious recognitions, including being named Best Lawyers in America’s “Lawyer of the Year,” receiving an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell, and being named to Upstate New York Super Lawyers’ “Top 50.”
