‘Still Serving’ at Age 93, Federal Judge I. Leo Glasser ‘48 Profiled in New York Law Journal

In 2018, I. Leo Glasser ’48, U.S. District Court Judge of the Eastern District of New York and former dean of the Law School, was featured in a New York Law Journal “Still Serving” profile—a series featuring active judges who are older than 90. After graduating from the Law School in 1948, Glasser, who is celebrating his 98th birthday, served on its faculty until 1969, when he was appointed as a judge of the New York Family Court. He returned to Brooklyn Law School in 1977 to serve as dean, a position he held until 1981 when he was nominated to the federal bench by President Ronald Reagan. He has presided over many high-profile federal cases, including the trials of mob bosses John Gotti and Vincent Gigante, and the securities fraud case against former Computer Associates CEO Sanjay Kumar.

The NYLJ story highlighted the profound impact that Glasser has had on the lives and careers of other lawyers including Bryan Mullee ‘96, who was sworn in by Glasser as acting U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of New York in 2018 (Vincent DeMarco stepped into the role in 2020). Mullee recalls approaching the judge for advice in 1992 when he was considering law school and receiving far more than expected when Glasser became his mentor.

“The support offered by the judge turned my contemplation into resolve,” Mullee said. “No matter how daunting the challenge of balancing a career, law school, and a burgeoning relationship with my future wife, I was always cognizant of the personal investment made by Judge Glasser. I asked [him] to administer my oath to thank him for what he did for me, but more so to honor him.”

A lifelong New Yorker who grew up on the Lower East Side, Judge Glasser sold newspapers on the street corner and worked several other jobs in his youth. According to the NYLJ, he got his first taste of the law “learning Robert’s Rules of Order in a settlement house club with a group of 13-year-olds” and developed a strong sense of family that he carries to this day.

“Growing up on the Lower East Side, you developed a sense of hardworking families, with families being the operative word,” Glasser told the NYLJ in 2018.

In 2014, the Board of Trustees created the Glasser Scholarship program to honor his career and service to the Law School.

The “Still Serving” series recently profiled Judge Arthur Spatt ‘49.

Read Judge Glasser’s profile here.

Article updated 4/5/2022.