LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Harry Edelstein upon the occasion of
receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Rockland Bar Association
on April 28, 2009

WHEREAS, It is the practice of this Legislative Body to take note of and
publicly acknowledge those exemplary individuals whose purposeful lives
and distinguished careers have been committed to bettering the quality
of life in this great Empire State; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor
Harry Edelstein upon the occasion of receiving a Lifetime Achievement
Award from the Rockland Bar Association at its dinner-meeting held on
Tuesday, April 28, 2009, at Restaurant X in Congers, New York; and
WHEREAS, Throughout his lifetime, Harry Edelstein has continually
demonstrated extreme competence, extraordinary intelligence and diligent
leadership in his unwavering service to his community and profession and
consequently has been selected for this most prestigious award; and
WHEREAS, Harry Edelstein opened his first Rockland law office in 1955
inside an old barbershop in Haverstraw, New York; representing the
Transportation Workers Union in New York City, he quickly began to build
a reputation as "the people's lawyer" in Rockland for his defense of
poor people and the disadvantaged; and
WHEREAS, Harry Edelstein's precedent-setting case occurred in 1962
after three teenagers were sentenced to jail for stealing $2 worth of
apples from a local farmer, they had not been represented by an attor-
ney; working for free, Harry appealed their convictions to the Court of
Appeals, arguing they had the right to a lawyer and were never informed
of their rights by the judge; and
WHEREAS, Harry Edelstein won the case and several months later Gover-
nor Nelson Rockefeller signed a law that mandated that individuals be
represented by a lawyer on non-felony charges; the law led to the
creation of the Rockland Public Defender's Office; and
WHEREAS, Additionally, Harry Edelstein fought and won cases represent-
ing the developmentally disabled which forced the state to change its
laws to ensure better safeguards before people were institutionalized;
and
WHEREAS, Harry Edelstein also served as a highly respected jurist for
the County Court and Clarkstown; as a County Judge, he became one of the
State's first jurists to sentence nonviolent convicts to community
service; and
WHEREAS, In recognition of his efforts of in-depth magnitude, Harry
Edelstein has been the recipient of numerous awards and accolades; in
1995, he received the prestigious Liberty Bell Award from the Rockland
Bar Association for his work on behalf of the disadvantaged; and
WHEREAS, Despite his busy professional life, Harry Edelstein has been
called upon to contribute his time and talents to countless civic and
charitable endeavors and has always given of himself unstintingly; and
WHEREAS, Born in Brooklyn, Harry Edelstein moved to Rockland in 1955;
he immediately immersed himself in the community and helped to start the
Hi-Tor Animal Care Center, the Legal Aid Society and the NAACP; he has
also volunteered for Fairmont Baptist Church, Planned Parenthood, Nanuet
Hebrew Center and Rent Clinic for the CIO; and
WHEREAS, Throughout the entire period of his community service, a
period of constructive involvement, Harry Edelstein has stood constant
in dignity, good grace and humor; and

WHEREAS, Harry Edelstein proudly enlisted in the United States Navy in
November 1942; he trained as a psycho-technician and spent seven months
on Guam; and
WHEREAS, With him throughout have been his wife, his three daughters
and their spouses, all of whom feel privileged to be a part of his life
and rejoice in his achievements; and
WHEREAS, Rare indeed is the impressive dedication shown by an individ-
ual for the benefit of others which Harry Edelstein has displayed
throughout his life; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when individ-
uals of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our atten-
tion, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens of
the great State of New York; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Harry Edelstein upon the occasion of receiving a Lifetime Achieve-
ment Award from the Rockland Bar Association on April 28, 2009; and be
it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Harry Edelstein.