Milton Pollack
Encyclopedia
Milton Pollack was a longtime federal
judge
in New York City
.
Pollack was born in New York and obtained his bachelors and law degrees from Columbia University
and Columbia Law School
.
In 1967, President
Lyndon B. Johnson
named Pollack as a judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
. Pollack took senior status
in 1983 but never fully retired, presiding over cases for the rest of his life. Pollack was known for enforcing strict deadlines on counsel, forcing cases either to settle or to go to trial, and other judges sometimes referred cases to him for this purpose. He was the oldest federal judge still sitting when he died in 2004 at the age of 97.
Pollack's docket included a wide variety of civil and criminal cases, although as a senior judge Pollack had greater control over the selection of cases assigned to him, choosing to specialize in cases involving finance issues, as he had in private practice. Pollack presided over several high-profile securities cases, including the litigation arising from the failure of Drexel Burnham Lambert
and cases arising from sales of internet
related stocks by Merrill Lynch
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Pollack was born in New York and obtained his bachelors and law degrees from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
and Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School, founded in 1858, is one of the oldest and most prestigious law schools in the United States. A member of the Ivy League, Columbia Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Columbia University in New York City. It offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in...
.
In 1967, President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
named Pollack as a judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York is a federal district court. Appeals from the Southern District of New York are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (in case...
. Pollack took senior status
Senior status
Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges, and judges in some state court systems. After federal judges have reached a certain combination of age and years of service on the federal courts, they are allowed to assume senior status...
in 1983 but never fully retired, presiding over cases for the rest of his life. Pollack was known for enforcing strict deadlines on counsel, forcing cases either to settle or to go to trial, and other judges sometimes referred cases to him for this purpose. He was the oldest federal judge still sitting when he died in 2004 at the age of 97.
Pollack's docket included a wide variety of civil and criminal cases, although as a senior judge Pollack had greater control over the selection of cases assigned to him, choosing to specialize in cases involving finance issues, as he had in private practice. Pollack presided over several high-profile securities cases, including the litigation arising from the failure of Drexel Burnham Lambert
Drexel Burnham Lambert
Drexel Burnham Lambert was a major Wall Street investment banking firm, which first rose to prominence and then was forced into bankruptcy in February 1990 by its involvement in illegal activities in the junk bond market, driven by Drexel employee Michael Milken. At its height, it was the...
and cases arising from sales of internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
related stocks by Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch is the wealth management division of Bank of America. With over 15,000 financial advisors and $2.2 trillion in client assets it is the world's largest brokerage. Formerly known as Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., prior to 2009 the firm was publicly owned and traded on the New York...
.