The American Association of Jewish Lawyers & Jurists (AAJLJ) is a nonprofit association representing the American Jewish legal community.
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AAJLJ Board Member Harold Halpern on Israeli Law Politics
Click here to view Harold Halpern’s column in the Sarasota Herald Tribune
AAJLJ Updates
In Memoriam ~ Hon. Alan H. Friedenthal
The American Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists notes with great sadness the passing of Board Member Hon. Alan H. Friedenthal.
Alan was sworn in as a Superior Court Commissioner in August, 2005, becoming a full-time bench officer after serving as an as-needed Referee for nearly 8 years, presiding over child support, domestic violence and traffic cases in the Los Angeles Superior Courts. Prior to his election as Superior Court Commissioner, Friedenthal served through the Los Angeles County Bar Association Trial Attorney Project as a Volunteer Prosecutor for the Los Angeles City Attorney’s office.
Alan was sworn in by his wife, Commissioner Steff Padilla, who was elected Commissioner earlier in 2005 and presides over a juvenile delinquency courtroom in Los Angeles. The two became the second couple in Los Angeles history in which both served as Superior Court Commissioners.
Alan also was very active in civic and community activities, including the Constitutional Rights Foundation, the Society of Professionals in Dispute Resolution, the Anti-Defamation League and the Sherman Oaks Rotary Club. He was a member of the bars in California, New York, Texas and the District of Columbia.
A great advocate for, and friend of, Israel and the Jewish people, Alan was a cherished member of the AAJLJ and its Board; a voice of wisdom, humor, and compassion for those faced with injustice. We mourn his loss and extend our deepest sympathy to his family and the greater communities he served in California and the nation.
2019 Pursuit of Justice Awards with Baruch Weiss, Stuart Kurlander, and Alyza D. Lewin
Stuart Kurlander is a healthcare and life sciences partner in Latham & Watkins’ Washington, D.C. office and is Global Co-Chair of the Israel Practice. Baruch Weiss, after over 20 years in public service, is now a partner in Arnold & Porter’s D.C. office and has been an avid defender of the rights of Jews. Alyza D. Lewin, the immediate past president of the AAJLJ and current President of the Brandeis Center, is a founding and managing partner at Lewin & Lewin, where she and her father, Nat Lewin, advocate tirelessly for the rights of the Jewish people and their ability to practice freely in all aspects of life. Previous recipients include Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Elena Kagan, Justice Stephen Breyer, and this year’s attendees including Nathan Lewin, Seth Waxman, Robert Weinberg, Martin Mendelsohn, and Gabriel Groisman. See coverage of the event in the Washington Jewish Week POJ Recipients Bob Weinberg, Baruch Weiss, and AAJLJ President Stephen Greenwald Federal Judge with Past POJ Recipient Seth Waxman Former AAJLJ President and Past POJ Recipient Nat Lewin
POJ 2018
POJ 2018 (Hon. Robert Abrams and Mayor Gabriel Groisman)
Recent mission to Israel
In late June several AAJLJ Board members traveled to Israel for meetings with legal experts, judges, past and present government officials , and policy think tanks, to learn more about current issues and controversies in the legal sphere; issues that have generated disagreements and dissension within the American Jewish community and between some American Jews and Israel.
Harold Halpern (pictured on top row, second from right), retired Sarasota attorney and long-time AAJLJ Board Member, wrote a series of articles for the Sarasota Herald Tribune chronicling the trip and several important issues that were raised during discussions.