January 27, 2010
ALBANY ATTORNEY PETER SCHIFF, SENIOR COUNSEL TO
SOLICITOR GENERAL, RECEIVES STATE BAR’S EXCELLENCE IN PUBLIC
SERVICE AWARD
Schiff cited for half century of public service,
strong mentoring legacy
NEW YORK—Peter H. Schiff, senior counsel to the New York State
Solicitor General’s Office, was honored with the Excellence in
Public Service Award from the New York State Bar Association during its
Annual Meeting on January 26 at the Hilton New York in Manhattan. The
award, sponsored by the Committee on Attorneys in Public Service,
recognizes individuals who demonstrate a “higher calling” in
government through their extraordinary commitment to service, honor and
integrity in the public sector.
The Committee honored Schiff, of Loudonville, for his decades of
exemplary public service while serving as a role model and mentor to
many of today’s government attorneys. These lawyers praise Schiff
for his career guidance and wise counsel. He is widely regarded as a
master teacher on brief writing and the rigors of oral argument, as well
as a sharp and creative force in legal analysis. At 80, he shows no
signs of slowing down.
“Whether it’s advocating for causes that serve the public
good, addressing the special needs of our citizens in court, or
upholding the highest standards of the legal profession, this
year’s recipients of our Excellence in Public Service Awards make
a difference each day in the lives of New Yorkers,” said New York
State Bar Association President Michael E. Getnick (Getnick Livingston
Atkinson & Priore, LLP of Utica and of counsel to Getnick &
Getnick of New York City). “The State Bar is proud to recognize
their fine work, and I congratulate Peter Schiff for winning this
honor.”
Other recipients this year were Hon. Patricia D. Marks of Rochester,
the presiding judge of the Judicial Diversion Program Court and the
Monroe County Veterans Court, and Diane Bosse of Buffalo, chair of the
New York State Board of Law Examiners.
After fleeing Nazi Germany as a child, Schiff emigrated to New York
and went on to Columbia College and Harvard Law School. He began his
career in Washington, D.C. before moving to Albany in 1971, where he
served for 10 years as the general counsel to the Public Service
Commission. Since 1981, he has held a series of positions in the
Department of Law’s Appeals and Opinions Division.
“Throughout his 52-year public service career in Washington,
D.C. and Albany, Peter Schiff committed himself to advancing the public
interest, promoting a more diverse workforce, and shaping the careers of
some of our most dedicated public servants. By his example, he
demonstrated that a government career can be a higher calling that is
carried out with integrity, care and pride,” said Committee Chair
Hon. Peter S. Loomis of Albany (New York State Department of
Transportation). “We are pleased to honor Mr. Schiff for his
outstanding contributions and astute advocacy.”
Last year’s award recipients were Anthony J. Annucci of Albany,
executive deputy commissioner, New York State Department of Correctional
Services, and Denise E. O’Donnell of Buffalo, deputy secretary for
public safety and commissioner, New York State Division of Criminal
Justice Services.
Founded in 1876, the 77,000-member New York State Bar Association is
the official statewide organization of lawyers in New York and the
largest voluntary state bar association in the nation. The State
Bar’s programs and activities have continuously served the public
and improved the justice system for more than 130 years.
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