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A Dad’s Legacy
Legal lecture series honors the memory of beloved lawyer.
DAVID SACHS CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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The late attorney Charles Cohen
hen attorney Charles Cohen
walked into the hospital emer-
gency room to complain of chest
discomfort on April 2, neither he nor his
family could have suspected that a massive
heart attack would take his life just min-
utes later.
Least of all, his son and law partner,
Andrew Cohen.
“My dad had no history of heart trouble,”
Andrew said. “He was checked out the
month before and got the ‘all clear.’”
But with the sudden loss of his confidant
and mentor, how would the younger Cohen
carry on?
“In the Jewish tradition, we say Kaddish
to let God know the loved one was a good
person,” Andrew said, noting a son or
daughter officially mourns for a parent for
11 months.
“In talking with my Uncle Alan Cohen,
we came up with the idea of doing some-
thing special in addition — something that
would be a living tribute to my dad, Alan’s
brother.
“My dad began practicing law in 1977,
focusing on aiding physically injured cli-
ents. In recent years, although he wasn’t
religious, he had an appreciation for Jewish
law and its connection to secular American
law.
“Uncle Alan lives in Jerusalem as well
as California and is religiously observant.
Through him and my cousins, I was intro-
duced to Rabbi Chaim Fink, an educator
with Partners Detroit, and Rabbi Shragie
Myers, executive director of Yeshiva Beth
Yehudah in Southfield.
Andrew, Alan, the rabbis and Partners
Detroit designed an 11-part monthly lec-
ture series featuring nationally recognized
speakers. The schedule complements
the 11 months of mourning for a parent.
The focus of the series is the intersection
between American law and Jewish law. All
speakers agreed to appear at no cost above
travel and accommodations.
The lecture series began June 8 at Prime
10, a kosher restaurant in Southfield. Each
event features a buffet at 6 p.m. followed
by the speaker at 6:30 and networking
and dessert at 7:30. About 80 people have
been attending the talks each month. Alan
Cohen graciously has paid the costs of the
series, Andrew said.
The co-sponsors are Partners Detroit
and the Jewish Bar Association of Michigan
(JBAM), where Andrew Cohen is a found-
ing member and vice president of finance.
The events are free and geared toward
JBAM members and those attorneys who
want to join.
PROMINENT LINEUP
Local community leader, banker and attor-
ney Gary Torgow led off the series speaking
on the need for civility in the practice of
law and in life. He was followed in July by
Washington, D.C.-based civil rights and
criminal attorney Nathan “Nat” Lewin,
who outlined the many legal battles he
fought to secure the public display of large
Chanukah menorahs.
The next presenter was New York-based
negligence attorney Harry Rothenberg who
related how he would sometimes consult
with rabbis regarding ethical issues that
arose during trials or where Jewish law
might contradict the secular law.
The upcoming speaker on Thursday,
Sept. 14, will be Alyza D. Lewin, the
daughter and law partner of Nathan
Lewin. She began her career in Israel
where she clerked on the Supreme Court.
She will speak on the Zivotofsky case,
which she handled, involving an American
who was born in Jerusalem in 2002 and
requested a U.S. passport listing his place
of birth to be Israel. The U.S. passport
office refused, as the United States does
not recognize Jerusalem as being a part of
Israel.
On Oct. 18, the co-speakers will be attor-
ney Gary August of Farmington Hills and
Rabbi Leiby Burnham of Partners Detroit.
The November speaker will be Rabbi Ken
Spiro, a senior lecturer and researcher with
Aish HaTorah in Jerusalem.
“We have commitments from people
who are leaders in the Jewish and legal
communities from across the country,
Andrew said.
“The series is geared toward attorneys,
and space is limited. All lectures are at
no cost to JBAM members. If you’re not
a member of JBAM, we encourage you
to join at www.jewishbar.org.” For more
information, call Partners Detroit at (248)
583-2476.
“It’s a great learning experience for
lawyers,” Andrew said, “and a great exam-
ple of the benefit Partners Detroit and
JBAM provides to the Jewish legal com-
munity.” •
Son and law partner Andrew Cohen
Guest speaker attorney Nathan Lewin, JBAM board member Austin Hirschhorn and U.S.
District Judge Mark Goldsmith
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August 31 • 2017
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Rabbi Chaim Fink, Andrew Cohen and speaker Gary Torgow