Lives of Consequence
Michael S. Levine ’79
As president of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association (NYSTLA), Michael S. Levine’s mission “is to protect consumers, assure that the wrongly injured have access to justice, and provide the public with ethical and well-trained lawyers.” Elected in June 2014 to represent more than 4,600 members across New York State, Levine’s position comes with “tremendous responsibility,” he says, but he’s “honored to serve” in the role.
A partner at RGLZ Personal Injury Law on Long Island, Levine has a nearly 30-year career in the practice of personal injury litigation. Beyond his practice and presidency of NYSTLA, Levine lectures often on his areas of expertise before the bar associations of Suffolk County and New York State, chairs the Suffolk County Bar Association Judicial Screening Committee, serves on the Suffolk County Bar Association Grievance Committee, authors articles for legal journals, serves as Mayor of his home town of Old Field, Long Island, and on the Board of Directors of United Cerebral Palsy-Suffolk County, hosts a radio show “Redefining Personal Injury,” and is an active part of the Long Island motorcycle community as Motorcycle Mike, Esq.
“If I keep a busy schedule, there’s no time to get into trouble,” Levine laughs.
One of Hobart College’s first tennis recruits under Head Coach John “Jack” Flowers, Levine majored in economics until taking a political science course with Professor of Political Science Emeritus Tom Millington. “Professor Millington was engaging and passionate about the subject,” says Levine who majored in history, minored in political science, and served as captain of the tennis team. “He encouraged me to take additional political science courses, including Constitutional Law, which sparked my interest in a career in the legal field.”
After graduating from Hobart, Levine spent a year in Vail, Colo., with two of his best friends from college—HWS Trustee Timothy S. Eden ’79 and Douglas C. Borstel ’79. After a year of living on the slopes, Levine applied to law schools in the Southeast. He settled on the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University in Macon, Ga., where he excelled in criminal law and trial advocacy courses.
After earning his J.D. and admission to a number of state and federal bars, including the bars of New York and New Jersey; the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey; and the U.S. District Court for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, Levine accepted a position representing criminal defendants with the Legal Aid Society of Nassau County. “The best place for a young lawyer interested in practicing criminal law is to work for a District Attorney’s Office or Legal Aid Office,” he adds.
While Levine enjoyed his work with Legal Aid, his passion was for helping people involved in personal injury cases, including motor vehicle accidents, premises liability accidents, construction accidents, and railroad and subway accidents, among others. In 1990, Levine took a position as an attorney with the predecessor firm to RGLZ Personal Injury Law, where he’s been for the past 24 years, and made partner in 1996.
“Personal injury law has allowed me to help so many people,” says Levine, who estimates he’s served more than 600 clients. “To be able to provide someone who has been badly injured and has become financially and physically dependent on others, live their life with dignity, it’s priceless.”
Based upon a peer review, Levine has been recognized as one of New York's Preeminent Lawyers in the Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register every year since 2005. He has also, since 2010, been recognized as one of the top attorneys in the New York metro area, and as a Super Lawyer by New York Magazine. In 2013 he was honored as the “Man of the Year” of United Cerebral Palsy of Suffolk County, and was also inducted into the Schreiber High School (Port Washington, N.Y.) Athletic Hall of Fame.
Levine’s advice to current pre-law or law school students: “Don’t expect to find your niche right away; it took me several to find my passion.” Another tip: “Return all phone calls and answer all emails before the end of the day, no matter how busy you are, and never leave work on your desk to be done later.” Levine also encourages students to become involved with their communities and affinity group. But perhaps the most valuable advice, “I believe that one of the keys to my success is that I don’t focus on money; I focus on helping people. When you focus on people, success becomes self-perpetuating. If I do right by my client, the word spreads.”