Leon Silverman

Leon Silverman (June 21, 1921 – January 29, 2015) was an American lawyer and government official. A senior partner and later chairman of the law firm Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson, Silverman was a prominent litigator known for representing high-profile clients such as Ivan Boesky and Sears, Roebuck & Company. He gained national prominence in 1981 when he was appointed as the Special Prosecutor to investigate United States Secretary of Labor Raymond J. Donovan regarding alleged ties to organized crime.

Throughout his career, Silverman served as president of the American College of Trial Lawyers, the Supreme Court Historical Society, and the Legal Aid Society of New York.

Biography Early life and education Silverman was born on June 21, 1921, in Manhattan to Jewish immigrants from Poland. His father died when Silverman was three years old, and he was raised in Borough Park, Brooklyn, by his mother, a seamstress, and his grandparents. He later attended the London School of Economics, where he studied under political theorist Harold Laski. successfully defended Sears, Roebuck & Company against antitrust charges and was appointed by a federal bankruptcy judge to manage asbestos liability claims for the Johns Manville Corporation.

On December 29, 1981, a panel of three federal judges appointed Silverman as Special Prosecutor to investigate Labor Secretary Raymond J. Donovan following allegations that Donovan had ties to organized crime and had witnessed a payoff to a union leader. Silverman conducted two separate inquiries and filed a comprehensive report on June 28, 1982, concluding that there was "insufficient credible evidence" to prosecute Donovan. While the findings allowed Donovan to remain in office, Silverman publicly clarified that his conclusion was not an exoneration, but a statement that the evidence did not meet the threshold for federal prosecution. President, Supreme Court Historical Society: He served as president and chairman of the board of trustees for over 22 years.

Legacy and honors In 2002, the Supreme Court Historical Society established the Leon Silverman Lecture Series in his honor. The series is held annually at the Supreme Court building and features lectures on constitutional history introduced by sitting Supreme Court Justices.

Upon his death in 2015, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg paid tribute to him, stating: "Leon Silverman was a prince among lawyers... [he] devoted much of his time to advancing the cause of justice, to make it equal and accessible to all."

Personal life Silverman married Rita Schwartz in 1949 and they had two daughters. He died on January 29, 2015, in Great Neck, New York, aged 93 years.