Kaye Scholer Dedicates Moot Courtroom to
Paul J. Curran

Litigation co-chairs James Herschlein and Michael Rogoff with Barbara Curran at the ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the Moot Courtroom’s dedication to Paul J. Curran

From the collection of the University Club

Kaye Scholer dedicated its New York office’s Moot Courtroom to the late Paul J. Curran, a versatile trial lawyer who headed the firm’s powerhouse litigation department for a decade and served in several high-level government roles.

Dedicated on Thursday, August 4, 2016, the Paul J. Curran Moot Courtroom will further elevate and enhance Kaye Scholer’s Litigation practice, which the legal press recently named among the top five “relatively small but fearsome law firms” that have won “some of the biggest cases.”

Some of Paul Curran’s family and long-time friends joined current Kaye Scholer lawyers at the dedication. They shared stories while perusing memorabilia-clad walls that included numerous New York Times articles highlighting Curran’s successes, handwritten notes from jury selection, transcript excerpts from trial closings, and an essay in which Paul reflected on his career and his litigation practice.

Curran was recognized as one of the leading trial attorneys in the country and his contributions to Kaye Scholer spanned nearly half a century. He joined the firm in 1961 and became a partner in 1969. He took leave to serve as United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York from 1972 through 1975, returning to Kaye Scholer where he remained a partner until 1996 and a special counsel to the firm until his death in 2008. Curran headed Kaye Scholer’s Litigation Department for more than a decade and served as a member of the firm’s Executive Committee.

Curran also held a number of important governmental positions throughout his career, including his appointment as Special Counsel, US Department of Justice, to investigate President Jimmy Carter in the “Peanutgate” matter (becoming the first lawyer to question a sitting president under oath); Special Consultant to the Secretary of Defense on Intelligence Matters; and Chairman of the New York State Commission of Investigation. He was elected to three terms as a Member of the New York State Assembly, and ran for Governor of New York State in 1982. Additionally, Curran held numerous pro bono positions, including serving as Chair of the Prisoners’ Legal Services of New York and as a member of the Judicial Election Qualification Commission.

The Paul J. Curran Moot Courtroom will be used to prepare for trials, hearings, and appeals, and to shepherd litigation associates through a vigorous trial skills training program. The courtroom includes cameras to record training sessions, granting lawyers the opportunity to provide and receive in-depth feedback.

“Paul left behind a legacy that few could match,” Litigation co-chair James Herschlein said. “He helped shape the firm’s litigation department for nearly half a century and it is our honor to dedicate the firm’s Moot Courtroom to him. We look forward to working together in this courtroom to prepare for trials and appeals and to train new generations of litigators.”