Peter Danziger



 

O'Connell and Aronowitz
Main Office:

54 State Street - Albany, New York 12207-2501
Tel.: 1-800-950-5601 (toll free)

Fax: (518) 462-2670
e-mail:  pdanziger@oalaw.com
Web: peterdanziger.com

Born: January 5, 1949
Manhattan, New York

Education

B.A. in Zoology (Major) / Psychology (Minor)
University of Vermont

May, 1970
Burlington, Vermont

J.D.
Albany Law School of Union University
Academic Standing - Top 11% of Class

June, 1973
Albany, New York

M.S. Educational Psychology and Statistics
State University of New York at Albany

August, 1977
Albany, New York

Experience

Brain Injury Litigation and Trial Experience

Mr. Danziger is a Senior Partner at the 30-attorney law firm of O'Connell and Aronowitz.  He represents injured individuals and their families throughout New York State.  Mr. Danziger has 35 years of experience in personal injury litigation including brain injury, lead poisoning, toxic tort, product liability, malpractice, class actions and other complex litigation.  He is one of the senior litigators in the law firm’s 12-attorney brain injury litigation department.  The firm has settled claims for over 150 individuals with brain injuries.

Mr. Danziger has combined his law degree and master’s degree in educational psychology into a career of helping individuals and their families.  He understands the challenges of advocating for and representing people with disabilities.

For 20 years, one of his major pro bono contributions has been as the originator and editor of a 27-chapter treatise entitled Representing People with Disabilities.  The treatise is published by the New York State Bar Association.  Over 30 of the leading legal experts in New York State author chapters which include Litigation, Guardianships, Special Education, Government Benefits, Individual Rights and Rights in Facilities, Discrimination, and Financial, Estate and Trust Planning.

General Counsel and/or Legislative Counsel to State Associations

Mr. Danziger also has extensive experience in disability law, special education law, legal issues in psychology and counseling, media law, and legislative and administrative lobbying.

He has served as general counsel and/or legislative counsel to numerous state associations representing mental health, health, education and psychology professionals; facilities and schools for people with disabilities; special education institutions; vocational schools; newspaper publishers; and children's camps.

He also has been general counsel and/or media counsel to several newspaper, television and radio broadcast companies.

Honors

·        Annual selection for the publication Best Lawyers in America, 1991 to date.

·        Annual selection for the publication Who's Who in American Law, 1990 to date.

·        Member, Albany Law Review, 1971-1973.

Publications

Treatise, Chapters and Articles

·        Originator and Co-Editor: Representing People With Disabilities, New York State Bar Association, 1989, 1997, 2000, 2006 (27 chapters with annual supplements).

·        Author: Special Education Litigation, New York State Bar Association, 1989, 1997, 2000, 2006 (co-author chapter in Representing People With Disabilities).

·        Author: Tapping Officials Secrets the Door to Open Government in New York, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, 1989, 1993, 1997 (a nationally published guidebook on New York State's Freedom of Information Law and Open Meetings Law).

·        Author: Long Term Care Insurance in New York, New York State Bar Association, 2000, 2006 (chapter in Estate Planning and Will Drafting in New York).

·        Author: Lead Poisoning - A Call For Action, Greater Upstate Law Project Newsletter, 2000 (article).

·        Author: Municipal Liability in Lead Poisoning Cases, Mealey's National Lead Litigation Conference, 2000 (article).

Newspaper Column

·        Author, Legal Line, syndicated newspaper column, 1990 to 2000 (biweekly legal column in 5 newspapers in New York State, over 200 articles on a wide range of legal topics).

Teaching

·        10 years as instructor of graduate level course in Legal Issues in Psychology, Counseling and Special Education at State University of New York at Albany, 1978-1988.

·        Instructor of graduate level course in Legal Writing and Legal Research at Albany Law School of Union University, 1972-1973.

  Commentator

·        Television and radio commentator (over 50 appearances), including Legal Line weekly television commentator.

Seminars

  Over 100 Presentations

Seminar presenter to New York State associations representing individuals with disabilities, health, mental health, educational organizations and children’s camps.

·        Seminar presenter to:

o       American Camping Association, New York Section

o       Coalition of Special Act School Districts (public schools for children with disabilities)

o       4201 Schools (state schools for individuals with hearing or vision impairment)

o       New York State Association of Nurse Anesthetists

o       New York State Association of School Psychologists

o       New York State Association of Trade and Technical Schools

o       New York State Camp Directors Association

o       New York State Newspaper Publishers Association

o       New York State Psychological Association

o       New York State Speech, Language and Hearing Association

Seminar chairperson or presenter to attorneys on a wide range of legal topics, including:

Representing people with disabilities, brain injury litigation, lead poisoning litigation, legal issues in psychology and counseling, special education law, privacy and confidentiality.

    • Albany Law School, Government Law Center
      • Albany
    • Association of Trial Lawyers of America National Conference
      • New Orleans
    • Bar Association of the City of New York
      • Manhattan
    • Legal Services Annual Conference
      • Albany
    • Legal Services Training
      • Poughkeepsie (Regional Conference)
      • Utica (Regional Conference)
      • Buffalo
      • Syracuse
      • Rochester
    • National Conference on Lead Litigation
      • Amelia Island, Fla.
      • Philadelphia
    • National Conference on Special Education Litigation
      • Phoenix
    • New York State Bar Association Environmental Law Section
      • Saratoga Springs
    • New York State Bar Association Real Property Law Section
      • Corning
    • New York State Bar Association Seminars - Representing People with Disabilities
      • Albany
      • Buffalo
      • Manhattan
      • Rochester
      • Syracuse
    • New York State Trial Lawyers Institute
      • Albany
      • Manhattan

Professional Affiliations

  • New York State Trial Lawyers Association
    • President, Capital Region Affiliate, 2008 to date.
    • Board Member, 2004 to date
  • New York State Bar Association
    • Committee on Issues Affecting People with Disabilities
      • Co-Chairperson 1989-1993.
      • Member, 1980 to date.
    • Elder Law Section
      • Member Executive Committee, 1998-2001.
      • Chairperson, Committee on Insurance, 1998-2001.
      • Member, 1990 to date.
    • Committee on Lawyer Referral Services
      • Selected for Major Injury and Malpractice Referral Panels
      • Member, 1994 to 2002.
  • Brain Injury Association of New York State
    • Board Member, 2009 to date.
    • Member, 2005 to date.
  • American Association for Justice
    formerly Association of Trial Lawyers of America
    • Member, 1992 to date.