David Leventritt (January 31, 1845 – January 9, 1926) was a Jewish-American lawyer and judge from New York.
Life
Leventritt was born on January 31, 1845, in Winnsboro, South Carolina, the son of George M. Leventritt and Betty Goldberg. His parents were German immigrants, with his father immigrating to America in 1834.[1]
Leventritt moved with his parents to New York City, New York, in 1854. He attended public schools there. He graduated from the Free Academy (later known as the College of the City of New York) in 1864 with the second honors of the class and an A.B. degree. He then studied law, graduating from the New York University School of Law with an LL.B. in 1870.[2] He was president of a commission appointed to investigate the Third Avenue Bridge over the Harlem River and counsel for the Theatrical Syndicate. He was involved in a number of notable court cases, including one for New York City in reference to the condemnation of lands for park purposes between Harlem and Washington Bridge; the property owners claimed 1.5 million dollars in damages, but through his efforts they were awarded less than half that amount.[3] The land became Washington Park. He was also involved in the settlement of the will of railroad builder Henry B. Plant.[1]
Leventritt was a Democrat and a follower of Tammany Hall. In 1898, he was a Democratic candidate for the New York Supreme Court. The campaign was somewhat embittered, although he won the election and ran ahead of his ticket. He joined the Court in 1899 and was immediately designated as a justice of the Appellate Term, a distinction no judge received on their first year of service until then.[4] During the 1898 election, the New York City Bar Association condemned his candidacy. Due to the efforts of Secretary of War (and former Association president) Elihu Root, the Association unanimously adopted a resolution to remove the censure in 1906.[5]
Leventritt resigned as Justice of the Supreme Court in 1908 and became head of the new law firm Leventritt, Cook & Nathan. He formed the law firm with Alfred A. Cook, Harold Nathan, his nephew Edgar M. Leventritt, and Emil Goldmark.[6] 500 lawyers and judges from the New York County Lawyers' Association held a dinner at the Hotel Astor later that year in honor of his judicial service, with ex-Justice William J. Wallace presiding, ex-Justice Morgan J. O'Brien serving as toastmaster, and speeches from Justice Almet F. Jenks, Justice John Proctor Clarke, Linn Bruce, and Governor Charles Evans Hughes.[7] In 1910, the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division appointed him chairman of the committee on character and fitness of candidates for admission to the bar. He held that position for twelve years, during which time he passed on the qualifications of 5,840 candidates.[1] He continued participating in important trials and arguments until he became somewhat enfeebled by old age.[8]