Meltzer, Lippe, Goldstein & Breitstone, LLP is pleased to announce that former Hofstra University President Stuart Rabinowitz has joined the firm as Senior Counsel. In this role, Stuart will focus 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.
“We are very pleased to welcome Stuart Rabinowitz to the firm,” said Managing Partner David Heymann. “Stuart brings leadership, innovation, and expertise that will complement our various practice areas. Stu’s approach to the law and the way he interacts with others is reflective of the overall culture of our firm.”
Meltzer Lippe Chairman Lew Meltzer echoed Heymann’s sentiments, adding that his long friendship with Rabinowitz has always included a mutual love of the law, business strategy, and wide ranging intellectual pursuits.
Rabinowitz, for his part, expressed that he’s “excited to be returning to the practice of law. It was my deep interest in the law, from the Constitution forward through the evolution of our legal system as it is today, that first led me to a law career. I look forward to the resumption of my practice at this dynamic and highly regarded law firm.”
For more than 50 years, Rabinowitz held numerous positions at Hofstra University, the largest private university on Long Island, serving the last 20 years as University President. Under his leadership, Hofstra University received regional, national and international visibility. He created several new schools that prepare students for the burgeoning opportunities in engineering, computer sciences, and health sciences. These include 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. While at Hofstra, Rabinowitz also founded the University’s National Center for Suburban Studies and the Center for Entrepreneurship.
Rabinowitz 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 debates.
Prior to serving as President, Rabinowitz was a member of the faculty of 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.
Outside of Hofstra, Rabinowitz 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 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.
Rabinowitz 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.