Metropolitan Black Bar Association Presents A. Thomas Levin with Diversity Vanguard Award

A.Thomas Levin, the Chair of the Municipal Law, Land Use and Environmental Compliance practice and the Professional Responsibility practice at Meyer, Suozzi, English & Klein P.C. will receive the Metropolitan Black Bar Association’s 2012, Diversity Vanguard Award on February 29, 2012.

Mr. Levin is being recognized by the MBBA for the “Exemplary work he has performed and continues to perform as a bar leader and attorney and for his efforts to promote diversity within the legal profession,” said R. Nadine Fontaine, President Elect of the Metropolitan Black Bar Association.

“This honor reflects Tom’s dedication to the legal community and the role he has undertaken to serve as a mentor and to open doors in the legal community to ensure that those practicing bring a diverse perspective to this industry,” said Meyer Suozzi Managing Attorney, Lois Schlissel.

“The legal community must reflect the diversity of our nation,” said A. Thomas Levin. “I am proud to be recognized by the MBBA for my efforts to make our profession, and our professional organizations, more representative of our diverse culture and population, and sensitive to the needs of our clients and the communities we represent.”

Mr. Levin is a former President of the 77,000 member New York State Bar Association (June 2003 - June 2004) and is a Life Member of that Association's House of Delegates. He was responsible for creating and implementing that Association’s award-winning program increasing diversity representation in Association governance.

Mr. Levin represents public and private sector clients in the fields of local government law, land use regulation, and commercial litigation, and matters relating to professional responsibility, ethics and disciplinary proceedings. He presently serves as Village Attorney for eight Nassau County villages and is Special Prosecutor for the Village of North Hills. He serves or has served as special counsel to scores of other municipalities and school districts, including Nassau County, the City of Long Beach, the City of Glen Cove, the Town of Hempstead, the Town of North Hempstead, the Copiague School District, Rockville Centre School District, Hempstead School District, Hewlett-Woodmere School District, Western Suffolk Board of Cooperative Education, Town of Brookhaven, Great Neck/North Shore Cable Commission and The Public Access Television Corporation.

He is also a former President of the Nassau County Bar Association (1991-1992), and is a Life Member of that Association's Board of Directors. Mr. Levin served as a Trustee of the New York State Bar Foundation and is a Sustaining Fellow of that organization and the American Bar Foundation, a member of the American Bar Association House of Delegates, a past President of the Bar Association of Nassau County Fund, Inc., and a co-founder and former Vice President of the Nassau Bar Tech Center, Inc. He also has served as President of the National Caucus of State Bar Associations, member of the Executive Committee of the National Conference of Bar Presidents, Chair of the New York State Conference of Bar Leaders, member of the Brown University Alumni Association Board of Governors, and President of the Brown University Club of Long Island.

He is also a member of the executive committees of the New York State Bar Association Municipal Law Section, International Section and Senior Lawyer Section, and has served as Chair, member or Executive Committee Liaison to many committees of that Association, including the Law, Youth & Citizenship Committee, Bylaws Committee, Committee on Legislative Policy, President's Special Committee on Access to Justice, Special Committee on Court Structure and Judicial Selection, Special Committee on Legal Issues Affecting Same Sex Couples, Special Committee on Youth Courts, and Nominating Committee. He also served the maximum two terms on the New York State Judicial Qualification Commission for the Tenth Judicial District.

Since 1971, Mr. Levin has been the Editor of the 'Bench Book for Trial Judges,' first published by the New York State Judicial Conference and the Office of Court Administration, and now published by Thomson-Reuters. He is also the author of numerous other legal articles. He is a frequent lecturer on legal topics including commercial litigation, zoning and land use, civil rights law, municipal law, environmental quality review compliance, professional ethics, current professional issues, and law office management.

A. Thomas Levin has been recognized by Who’s Who in American Law, Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in the East and Who's Who in the World. He was the recipient of the 'Commitment to Justice' Award presented by the Nassau/Suffolk Law Services Committee in 2002, recognizing the strong support he has given to pro bono services, his outstanding leadership in the legal community, and his devotion to improving the justice system on Long Island. Mr. Levin was the May 2003 Alumnus of the Month for New York University School of Law, and in 2006 he was awarded the 'Public Interest Attorney of the Year' from Touro Law Center. Mr. Levin is rated 'AV Preeminent' by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest level in professional excellence, and was recognized by L.I. Pulse Magazine in 2010 and 2011 as one of the region's 'Top Legal Eagles' and received the Long Island Business News 2011 Leadership in Law award.

Mr. Levin is admitted to practice law in New York State, the State of Florida, the United States Virgin Islands, the United States Supreme Court and before the United States District Court, Eastern and Southern Districts of New York, and the United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit.