My Letter to the Editor of the NYT 1993

In Defense of Court Street Lawyers

March 5, 1993

To the Editor:

Your Feb. 17 “About New York” column describes Tony Falese, cabbie advocate, as a man with a silver bracelet, a beeper and “the air of a lawyer, the Court Street kind.” Your message is that Mr. Falese evokes a certain street sleaze image. The phrase “Court Street lawyer” is an old elitist insult that reveals a socially toxic view of New York City as divided into two sectors — Manhattan and “the outer boroughs.” Burial of this phrase is long overdue.

The phrase “Court Street lawyer” probably has its roots in decades-old biases that characterized the attitudes of the legal establishment toward lawyers who were the children of immigrants. Your use of the phrase shows an attitude prevalent in an era when young lawyers like Mario Cuomo were not hired by big Manhattan firms because of the vowel at the end of his name. As a result, he practiced law and began his distinguished career in Brooklyn at 32 Court Street.

There is no difference between lawyers on Court Street and lawyers anywhere else. On the average, Court Street firms tend to be smaller, and there are more solo practitioners. A small firm is more accessible to average people. By insulting small firms you also insult our clients — mainstream New Yorkers for whom these firms are a vital point of access to our judicial system.

The same column quotes a man who greeted Mr. Valese with: “Tony. Ya remember me?” I assume the use of phonetic spelling in quoting certain speakers is intended to convey the speaker’s social status. If you don’t think this is biased condescension — when was the last time you transcribed President Clinton’s frequent “y’alls”? ROBERT M. SALZMAN Brooklyn, Feb. 17, 1993

A version of this article appears in print on March 5, 1993, Section A, Page 28 of the National edition with the headline: In Defense of Court Street Lawyers. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe