LLOYD EPSTEIN
Lloyd Epstein
Biography
Lloyd Epstein is a Founding Member of Epstein & Weil LLC, located in downtown Manhattan. His practice focuses on Criminal Defense, including charges for felonies, misdemeanors and White Collar Crimes.
Mr. Epstein has successfully represented those who have been charged by New York State or the Federal government in wide range of criminal activity including drug possession or distribution, weapons violations, embezzlement, fraud, and other white collar crimes, sex offenses, sex offender registration, assault, trial sentencing and other violent crimes.
Over the past 40 years, Mr. Epstein has been able to obtain successful results for his clients, both through acquittals and through the negotiation of favorable plea agreements with the prosecution.
Highly regarded by his peers, Mr. Epstein has been selected to the New York Metro Super Lawyers list every year since 2010. He has also received an AV Preeminent* peer review rating through Martindale-Hubbell.
Mr. Epstein is fluent in Hebrew and Spanish. He graduated from New York University School of Law, where he received the Ann Petluck Poses Memorial Prize before being awarded his Juris Doctor in 1979.
Mr. Epstein is admitted to practice in New York Stare and Federally before the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern, Southern and Northern Districts of New York and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit.
Can You Ever Forgive Me?, the movie based on the autobiographical story of Lee Israel, one of this firm’s clients. Mr. Epstein represented Ms. Israel in the early 1990s. Unhappy with her first attorney and facing the prospect of a jail sentence, Lee turned to Epstein & Weil to defend her on charges of forging “letters” from famous writers and stealing original letters from a rare document library. Her case gained notoriety when she published an account of her crimes which included praise and gratitude for Mr. Eptein's work in keeping her out of jail. See more about Lee’s story (and see Lloyd portrayed) in the film.
Practice Areas
- Criminal Defense
Education
- New York University School of Law, New York, New York
- J.D. - 1979
- Honors: Anne Petluck Poses Prize in Clinical Education
- Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts
- B.A. - 1974
- Honors: cum laude
Bar Admissions
- New York, 1979
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, 1983
- U.S. District Court Southern District of New York, 1983
- U.S. District Court Northern District of New York, 2006
- U.S. Court of Appeals 2nd Circuit, 1984
Published Works
- Pleading Guilty or Going to Trial? A Family Affair, The Mouthpiece, November/December, 2002
- Crack Cocaine Sentencing Guidelines Challenged, NYLJ, April 27, 1995
- Choice of Defense and the Attorney Client Privilege, The Champion, November, 1994
- A Crack for the Sentencing Guidelines?, The Mouthpiece, September, October, 1994
Representative Cases
- People v. Burden, 176 AD3d 524 (1st Dept. 2019)(NY) – client’s designation as sex offender overturned and name removed from registry
- People v. Richards, 2017 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2084 (2d Dept, App. Term)(NY) – overturned conviction that required client’s deportation; client permitted to remain in US
Professional Associations
- National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys, Member, 1986 to Present
- New York State Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys, Member, 1987 to Present
- Assigned Counsel Plan, First Department, Member, Central Screening Committee (1989-1993, 1997-2006)
Honors
- New York Metro Super Lawyers
- AV Preeminent* peer review rating through Martindale-Hubbell
Classes & Seminars
- Federal Defender Service, National Seminar, Persuasive Writing Orlando,Fl, January, 2013; taught three day seminar on memorandum writing
- Ohio State Public Defender Office, Dayton Ohio, Appellate and Trial Advocacy Programs, March, 2016, March 2015, October 2012, March 2012, May, 2010
- Washington State Public Defender Office Seattle, May, 2015; Chelan, Washington, November, 2007 - "Trial Advocacy Training" Conducted three day seminar for criminal defense attorneys and gave lecture, Closing Statements and Story Telling
- Pennsylvania State Public Defender Statewide Training Session Dickenson Law School, Carlisle, PA, March 2011, April 2010, July, 2009, June, 2001, Conducted four day seminar for criminal defense attorneys and lectured on Voir Dire, Opening Statements, Story Telling
- Washington, D.C. Public Defender Service/National Association of Sentencing Advocates Washington D.C., February, 2004 - Conducted three day seminar for attorneys and social workers on contemporary techniques of sentencing advocacy and gave lecture, "The Defense Pre-sentence Report"
- Williams College Williamstown, Mass., January 2004 - conducted seminar for undergraduates on role of "mitigation" in death penalty litigation
- Dade County Public Defender Miami, FL, July, 2003 Conducted three day seminar for attorneys and social workers entitled "Writing Pre-sentence Reports for the Defense"
- National Association of Sentencing Advocates National Conference, Washington, D.C. February, 2002 Conducted three day seminar for social workers entitled "Testifying for Social Workers"
- National Association of Legal Aid and Defender Associations Death Penalty Conference, Washington, D.C., March, 2000 Conducted Seminar: "Investigating Claims of Ineffective Assistance of Counsel"
- New York County Lawyers Association 1995 and 1996 Annual Presentation on Federal Sentencing Guidelines
- Webinar, January, 2017, National Association for Public Defense, “Representing Juveniles Murder Defendants Post-Miller”
Pro-Bono Activities
- President, Japan Karate Associate of New York, 2019- present
- President, Lincoln Square Synagogue (Manhattan), 2013-2015
Past Positions
- Legal Aid Society/Manhattan Criminal Defense, Division Staff Attorney, 1979 to 1982
- New York Law School, Assistant Clinical Professor/Supervising Attorney of Criminal Defense Clinic, 1982 - 1984
- CUNY Law School, Adjunct Professor of Law, 1986 - 1989
- NY Law School, Adjunct Professor of Law, 1989 - 2009
- Epstein & Weil Founding partner, specializing in criminal trials and appeals In Federal and State Courts, 1985 to present
Languages
- Hebrew
- Spanish