Brooklyn Law School: Where Else Can You Learn From a ‘MobFellas’ Attorney?
The Village Voice had a great piece last week on the developing trial of Robert Simels, a New York attorney who has attracted a fair amount of fame from defending alleged mobsters and other assorted “kingpins.”
Legendary local attorney Robert Simels is only being punished for representing some of New York’s most unredeemable gangsters, say some in local legal circles. Kind of a what-goes-around-comes-around situation.Simels not only lawyered for mafia turncoat Henry Hill (on whose life GoodFellas was based), but also some of the biggest Latino and black drug kingpins of the ’80s and ’90s. And now, Simels himself is in deep trouble. He’s been indicted for allegedly tampering with witnesses in a case revolving around a comparatively little-known Guyanese drug gangster, Shaheed “Roger” Khan.
There is talk that Simels has been hauled into court as a punishment for his unsavory client list. Coincidentally enough, his trial is taking place before U.S. District Judge John Gleeson — a former prosecutor who went after John Gotti.
So it should come as no surprise that Simels has turned to another legendary defender of clients with supposed mafia ties, Gerald Shargel:
Simels has hired Gerald Shargel, one of Gotti’s main lawyers and a guy who is, in fact, one of the most prominent mob lawyers in the city.
Nice.
But did you know that Shargel also doubles as a professor at Brooklyn Law School?
Details after the jump.
Mr. Shargel’s Brooklyn Law bio doesn’t directly mention some of Shargel’s highest profile cases. But you can kind of get the point:
Professor Shargel has served as the Law School’s Practitioner in Residence for the past several years. He is a prominent criminal defense attorney who has tried more than 100 criminal cases. His practice focuses primarily on federal criminal prosecutions, including stock fraud, health care fraud, money laundering, tax evasion, mail and wire fraud, RICO violations, and homicide. He has been an adjunct member of Brooklyn Law School’s faculty teaching Trial Advocacy and has also taught Criminal Appellate Practice at New York University School of Law. He is frequently invited to lecture to professional groups, teach at continuing legal education programs, and speak at symposia around the country. He is a regular commentator on television news programs, and his comments on current developments in criminal law appear often in both broadcast and print media.He has also been recognized in a number of national publications as one of the top criminal lawyers in New York.
Shargel the professor has the love of at least one of his students:
As a former student of his, I’ve never been so proud of such an awesome man and professor (haha).
There is a lot to be (ahem) proud of on Shargel’s resume. But the Voice reports an interesting ongoing professional battle between Shargel and Judge Gleeson:
Gerald Shargel and John Gleeson first clashed during one of John Gotti’s trials in the early ’90s. Shargel, who had been for some time an attorney for members of the Gambino crime family, was part of the Gotti defense team, which also included Bruce Cutler, a barrel-chested, bombastic defense attorney who, through his combative courtroom manner, played the role of bad cop to Shargel’s good cop. It was Gleeson, then a prosecutor, who engineered the disqualification of Shargel and Cutler from Gotti’s defense, on the grounds that they had become “house counsel” to the Gambino crime family….Gleeson threatened for years to bring Shargel and Cutler up on charges of witness tampering and obstruction of justice, based on the Ravenite tapes and possible testimony from Sammy “the Bull” Gravano, Gotti’s underboss and a former Shargel client, who began cooperating with the government in 1991. After a four-year investigation, the U.S. Attorney’s office abandoned pursuing charges against Shargel and Cutler.
Somebody needs to make a movie about lawyers that defend alleged mobsters.
In any event, if I were a Brooklyn Law student, I’d take Shargel’s class. The war stories alone could be worth the price of tuition.
MobFellas: Simels, Gleeson, and Shargel [Village Voice]
(60) Comments
Comments
Gangsters and Gangstas have the same lawyer? That, my friends, is progress. And, of course, eTTThics.
Hofstra is better than Brooklyn.
"Somebody needs to make a movie about lawyers that defend alleged mobsters."
That would not support a main plot. Maybe a subplot, which was done in Carlito's Way.
Word to the wise, Elie.
Have a little respect.
Shargel is also a BLS alum.
"There is a lot to be (ahem) proud of on Shargel's resume. "
ahem WHAT?
Hahahah Elie had the wrong picture. Way to keep it GangsTTTa.
Someone needs to make Elie an offer he can't refuse - a donut.
Brief comment re: Sean Penn's performance in Carlito's Way.
Absolutely fucking brilliant!
Hahahah Elie had the wrong picture. Way to keep it GangsTTTa.
Khaaaaan!!!!!!!!!
Wanksta
Comment removed by moderator.
Too bad he didn't represent people from some dirthole far away who wanted to kill you, me and everyone we know. Wonder how gushing this post would have been then.
Hmmmmm. How about the Boyd School of Law at UNLV.
"In any event, if I were a Brooklyn Law student, I'd take Shargel's class. The war stories alone could be worth the price of tuition."
I took Gleeson's class at NYU, in which he played for us the Gotti tapes recorded in the Fish and Hunt club. Good shit.
13,
Are you sure?
Any class instucted by Shargel WAS completely worth the price paid: to be sure, he did share war stories.
13, source?
Curious if Gleeson will recuse himself, and if so on motion or sua sponte. If not either, grounds for reversable error?
Comment removed by moderator.
Breaking News: Someone left an anonymous sperm donation on Mystal's moobs.
I don't think anything, including Shargel's class, could redeem the three years of worthless education received by Brooklyn students
You ain't a lawyer no more Dave. . . you're a gangsta now.
17, 19, 20 -- reports are just coming through now. Refresh CNN.
Brooklyn Law is the Yale of working class law schools
Don't forget he represented Marc Drier. Another classy fellow.
Don't forget he represented Marc Drier. Another classy fellow.
Don't forget he represented Marc Drier. Another classy fellow.
2, 24= full of crap
He now has great Marc Drier stories as well. Another classy fellow
SMU is the Yale of Louisiana.
He now has great Marc Drier stories as well. Another classy fellow
This just in- Criminal Defense lawyer represents criminals.
This just in- Criminal Defense lawyer represents criminals.
35,
Model Rule 8.4
"It is professional misconduct for a lawyer to: ...(c) engage in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation..."
But seriously, you do have to have some psychological issues to think it is cool to spread a rumor of someone's death.
^ Talks to himself.
Is it true that 13, 20 and 24 were referring to Abe Vigoda?
The title does a terrible job at describing the crap you wrote.
Does he now have great Marc Drier stories as well?
Completely agree with 25,
In NY circles BLS has a ton more respect than half the schools ahead of it on US News and World Reports.
Why is everyone obsessed with Mystal's boobs?
Can someone find an article (or make one and put it on the internet) for Elie to link to about the difficulty many associate are having getting a federal gov't job? I've already caused a few threads to discuss this showing a good portion of the readership wants to discuss it.
Apparently though Elie has no interest in making it a post unless he can link to an article.
Elie used to call/e-mail managing partners of law firms for comment. Why can't he did that with OARM at DOJ? Certainly they can confirm or deny whether you need 6/10+ years of experience to get a job in the current economy.
Please remove 42.
CRAP! I am a BLS student on the waitlist for Shargel's class. Now I'm never getting in. haha.
36,
Elie not only moderated the original 35, but removed it also.
35/45: you do have to have some psychological issues.
BLS Alum here.
Shargel was (is?) a great professor. I took his Trial Advocacy class in 2003. (I think he was a visiting professor or something at the time.) Great learning experience. His is a very good teacher and instructor.
Please stop removing the comments about Elizabeth Edwards's death, sad and untimely as it is. Are whatever sites you're consulting not reporting it yet? In any event, keep the forum open for debate. Let the public decide.
You know this guy has quietly been retained by Partner Emeritus for some less than savory assignments. I doubt Partner Emeritus will confirm this.
@33 - This also just in....Adam Lambert is gay.
Shargel teaches a class that is solely a stage for him to tell war stories (Crim Law Current Events). He even brings the bagels. Best class of law school.
I took Shargel's class and he is one of the best professors I have ever had. His class is so interesting (yes, there are some stories) but this man really knows how to teach. Once, when Shargel appeared before Judge Korman - Shargel was arguing an evidence issue and knew the FRE like the back of his hand. Judge Korman complained in open court "its not fair, you teach this stuff."
All of this information about who Shargel has represented should come as no surprise. He has an article detailing it all done many years ago by the New York Magazine linked on his firm's website. Also, you can check out his closing in one of the John Gotti trials on his website too. You can see what real lawyering is and what BLS students are privileged to see when coming to class. It's worth the price of admission.
I took Evidence with Shargel--he was excellent as a teacher and even more fun as a practitioner sharing war stories.
I took a number of classes with Shargel and agree that he is one of the best professors at Brooklyn Law. The man knows evidence and Crim Law inside and out. Not only is he a good professor, but he's a good guy outside of class.
He makes no bones about the people he's represented and you do get some good stories in class. Althought, these days he does a lot more white collar work like Dreier and Oscar Wyatt in the Iraq oil-for-food scandal.
3 & 9 - I wanted to point out that Carlito's way was written by former NY Supreme Court Judge Torres, a friend of Shargel's.
I took a federal crim law class at my law school, the professor brought in a former student- a brassy, big-boobed blonde- who reps a number of gangsters. In addition to watching her bounce, much amusement came from her version of Jersey English. She also told us, to my surprise, that they look down on "rat lawyers" and she, and her friends, would never take a case representing a "rat."
Mandatory Jerry reading:
http://archives.newyorker.com/?i=1994-02-21#folio=064
Bruce Cutler went to BLS and Judge Gleeson taught at BLS in the early 90s because I had him for a Federal Prosecution class. He was awesome.
55: ....and she's probably still employed while you aren't.
I liked Shargel's class, but I wouldn't consider him among the best at BLS. He was very entertaining, though, and super-accessible to students during his office hours and otherwise. His class was a great experience.
58,
I'm employed, thanks for being a jackass.
55: You write some classist nonsense and I'm the jackass?