‘Dean of Suffolk Law’ To Receive Attorney Professionalism Award
4.15.2025
Harvey Besunder entered the bar in December 1967, the same month the Green Bay Packers battled the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL Championship later knowns as the “Ice Bowl.” “The Graduate” and “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?” were tops at the box office and Otis Redding recorded his hit song, “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay.”
At 81, Besunder continues to work full time, trying cases, volunteering on committees, teaching and mentoring young lawyers. The Long Island native followed his father into the legal profession and his wife and children were inspired by him to do the same. His daughter, Alison Arden Besunder, writes: “Being a lawyer is not just what my father does; it is woven like gossamer into the very fabric of his being.”
Colleagues, bar and community leaders, and even a few of his courtroom adversaries wrote dozens of recommendation letters on his behalf. Words like honesty, integrity, civility, respect and honor abound. Page after page, fellow professionals wrote of his zealous advocacy for his clients and his civility and respect for all members of the court.
In his nomination letter, former courtroom adversary David Rosenberg wrote of an early mentoring experience in which Besunder “always treated me with respect and made me feel like an equal. Harvey’s word was his bond.”
Kera Reed, president of the Suffolk County Women’s Bar Association, calls him a trusted adviser whose early guidance in her career proved invaluable. “He leads by example, creating an environment that fosters respect, collaboration and a commitment to the ideals that underpin the legal system.”
He guided friends and colleagues through complex ethical dilemmas. Many detailed Besunder’s empathy and compassion to those in the most difficult circumstances. The Town of Islip assessor, Anne Danzinger, wrote that Besunder was instrumental in strengthening her strong ethical compass, which helped instill more accountability in her public office. She added that Besunder’s mentorship has had a profound impact on her personally and professionally.
Mentoring the next generation of lawyers is a labor of love for Besunder. If you have passed the bar in Suffolk County in the last 20 years, you likely sat with him as part of the character and fitness interview. His impact can be seen in young lawyers who first met him at a high school Mock Trial Competition or as a summer associate in law school.
Elena Langan, dean of Touro Law School, writes that Besunder’s “constant demonstration of professional excellence, mentorship and commitment to developing the next generation of legal professionals makes him an exemplary candidate for the Attorney Professionalism Award.”
More than one peer called Besunder a mensch, a word of Yiddish origin that roughly translates into a good person. “All of us who practice alongside him aspire to be like him,” added Mark Cohen. A. Thomas Levin, past president of the New York State Bar Association, wrote, “Harvey is the epitome of what an attorney professional should be. The world would be a better place if we could clone him!”
The Attorney Professionalism Award is presented by the New York State Bar Association’s Committee on Attorney Professionalism each year on Law Day.
