Stuart Rabinowitz is Senior Counsel to Meltzer, Lippe, Goldstein & Breitstone, LLP and focuses his practice on state and federal litigation, appellate litigation, constitutional law, civil rights law, voting rights law, education law, including higher education and labor relations and liaison with local, state and federal agencies and officers relating to economic development.
Prior to joining the firm, for more than 50 years, Stuart held numerous positions at Hofstra University, serving the last 20 years as University President. Prior to serving as President, Stuart was a distinguished professor of law at the Hofstra University Maurice A. Deane School of Law, and was later named Dean of the law school, a position he held from 1989 through 2001. He retired from Hofstra in August 2021.
Under his leadership, Hofstra University received new regional, national and international visibility. He created several new schools, including the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, the Hofstra/Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies, the Fred DeMatteis School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the Peter S. Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs, and the School of Health Professions and Human Services. He also founded the University’s National Center for Suburban Studies and the Center for Entrepreneurship. In recognition of Stuart’s outstanding contributions to Hofstra University, it has named its Honors College after him and his wife Nancy.
Stuart was also instrumental introducing Hofstra University to a national audience, bringing three consecutive presidential debates (2008: Obama/McCain, 2012: Obama/Romney, 2016: Trump/Clinton) to the Hofstra campus, making Hofstra the only university in the U.S. to have hosted that many consecutive presidential debates.
In addition to Stuart’s experience and significant accomplishments at Hofstra University, Stuart worked at Rosenman & Colin LLP for a number of years and as an Associate Professor in law at his Alma Mater, Columbia Law School.
Outside of Hofstra University, Stuart has held numerous leadership positions. He is a former member of the board of directors of the Long Island Association and was Co-Vice Chair of the Long Island Regional Economic Development Council. He currently serves as a member of the New York State Commission of Continuing Legal Education. He has received many awards for his service, among them the Martin Luther King Living the Dream Award, EOC; Distinguished Service in the Cause of Justice, Legal Aid Society; UJA Federation Leadership Award; and the Bar Association of Nassau County Proclamation for Outstanding Service to the legal profession and the community; the Conference of Jewish Organizations of Nassau County’s Community Service Award; the Alumni Association of the City College of New York’s 2005 Townsend Harris Medal; and Networking magazine’s David Award. He also received the Chief Executive Leadership Award from the CASE, District II, and was named to City and State New York’s Higher Education Power 50 and Long Island Power 100 lists in 2020. Claflin University presented Stuart with the degree Doctor of Laws, honoris causa.
Stuart received a juris doctor, magna cum laude, from Columbia University School of Law, where he was a member of the board of editors of the Columbia Law Review and a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. He graduated from the City College of New York with honors, and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.