Jay Rabinowitz

Jay Andrew Rabinowitz (February 25, 1927 – June 16, 2001 ) was an American lawyer, jurist, and chief justice of the Alaska Supreme Court for four non-consecutive terms, remaining active as a justice from February 1965 until his mandatory retirement in February 1997.

During his time on the Alaska Supreme Court, Rabinowitz wrote more than 1,200 court opinions, 200 of them dissenting. Rabinowitz wrote landmark opinions in cases involving privacy, reproductive freedom, search and seizure, self-incrimination, free speech, during which time he served four non-consecutive three-year terms as chief justice. (The Alaska Constitution prohibits consecutive terms as chief supreme court justice.) and marijuana use. He was particularly sensitive to the ways in which the law affected the legal rights of Alaska Natives and authored several noteworthy judicial opinions that respected Native traditions in areas of family rights and adoption, education, and law enforcement.

Rabinowitz's law clerks included Robert Coates and Andrew Kleinfeld, who became a judge of the Ninth Circuit.

Beginning in 1971, Rabinowitz also served on the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, where he headed three drafting committees and served on numerous others.

Personal life Rabinowitz was a competitive athlete, and pursued both tennis and skiing throughout his life, taking up long-distance running in middle age. He and his wife, Anne, had four children, including former Olympian Judy Rabinowitz. His brother is Robert Rabinowitz, creator of Beatlemania, a 1974 Broadway musical show; his cousins include media contributor Seth Rabinowitz and Barrie Cassileth.

Death and legacy Rabinowitz died on June 16, 2001, at the age of 74 from complications of leukemia in a Seattle hospital. In remembrance of him, Governor Tony Knowles ordered Alaska state flags to be lowered to half-staff for five days. Said Knowles, "Jay Rabinowitz devoted his life to the law.... He began his career when Alaska was a young state. His steady, thoughtful manner resulted in a body of law that will have a lasting impact on Alaska as we know it. I personally sought his guidance and input on a number of critical issues facing our state. I will miss his sense of humor and his integrity. Jay's legacy will not be forgotten."

The Rabinowitz Courthouse in downtown Fairbanks, Alaska, and the Alaska Bar Association's Jay Rabinowitz Public Serive Award are named after him.