Skip to Content

Bernard G. Segal helped to found Schnader upon the premise that lawyers have an ongoing “obligation to assume an active role in the pursuit of a just and ordered society, in helping to solve the emerging problems of social, economic, and political importance.” The Criminal Defense practice group furthers this important mission by ensuring that our clients are afforded all applicable constitutional and statutory protections and are defended with the utmost of integrity.

We routinely counsel companies, boards, directors, and individuals in all types of governmental investigations, including complex federal and state criminal matters. We frequently advise clients regarding inquiries from the U.S. Department of Justice, the Office of Attorney General, District Attorney’s Offices, Offices of Inspector General, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and other local and federal law enforcement agencies. Our team includes former government prosecutors and experienced litigators who have vast experience appearing before grand juries, liaising with the Courts, handling crisis communications, and representing clients in high-profile and sensitive matters. The hallmark of our practice is mitigating risk, navigating the complexities of high-stakes litigations, and recommending reforms and implementing best practices.

We are poised to defend our clients during the course of an investigation through trial, plea, and sentencing; conduct comprehensive appellate advocacy including briefing and arguing criminal appeals; and post-conviction motions; represent in state and federal trial and appellate courts throughout the country; provide counsel during statewide investigating and federal grand jury matters; and capably defend individual and organizational interests.

The members of our Criminal Defense practice group are nationally recognized trial and appellate lawyers. They have been elected to prestigious groups such as the American College of Trial Lawyers, the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, and the American Law Institute. We hold leadership positions in the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Pennsylvania Innocence Project, and bar association groups devoted to appellate practice; we serve on criminal court rules committees; we teach appellate practice courses and lecture on criminal procedure at law schools; we write and lecture frequently on criminal defense and internal investigations best practices; and are contacted by the media for explanation of criminal and appellate issues in the news.

Our Attorneys

Jay Evans

Jay Evans

412-577-5122

Pittsburgh, PA

jevans@schnader.com

 412-577-5122 Pittsburgh, PA
Bruce P. Merenstein

Bruce P. Merenstein

215-751-2249

Philadelphia, PA

bmerenstein@schnader.com

 215-751-2249 Philadelphia, PA
Layal Issa Ramirez

Layal Issa Ramirez

215-751-2498

Philadelphia, PA

lramirez@schnader.com

 215-751-2498 Philadelphia, PA
Samuel W. Silver

Samuel W. Silver

215-751-2309

Philadelphia, PA

ssilver@schnader.com

 215-751-2309 Philadelphia, PA
Christine M. Wechsler

Christine M. Wechsler

215-751-2188

Philadelphia, PA

cwechsler@schnader.com

 215-751-2188 Philadelphia, PA

Related Practices

News & Publications

Related Events

Contacts

Print Download PDF Share

The Higher Calling Of The Law Requires...

Inclusion. When Pennsylvania Attorney General William Schnader left politics and sought to return to private practice in Philadelphia, he discovered that no major Philadelphia law firms would hire his protégé, Bernard Segal, a Jewish attorney. In response, in 1935, William Schnader, Bernard Segal and Francis Lewis formed a new law firm, Schnader & Lewis -- the first religiously integrated law firm in Philadelphia.

Innovation. Because Schnader was religiously integrated from its founding, many local clients in the Philadelphia area would not retain the firm in the 1930s and 1940s. Accordingly, the firm sought to represent larger, national companies.

Vision. Firm founder William Schnader was president of the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, which drafted and developed the Uniform Commercial Code. He successfully campaigned for the Code's adoption in 49 states.

The pursuit of freedom. At the request of President Truman, firm founder Earl Harrison, as Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, toured displaced persons camps at the end of World War II and recommended to the President that displaced persons in Europe be permitted to resettle in Palestine. His report was a major factor that led to American support for the establishment of Israel.

The pursuit of justice. Firm founder Earl Harrison testified on behalf of an African-American student denied entry to the University of Texas School of Law because of his race. The case challenged the "separate but equal" doctrine, as applied to state law schools and laid the foundation for Brown v. Board of Education. The Supreme Court eventually overturned the lower courts' decisions and ordered the University of Texas to admit qualified black applicants.

Courage. Firm founder Bernard Segal convinced the Philadelphia bar to defend nine accused Communists pro bono. The defendants were convicted but their cases were thrown out on appeal. As a result, the Justice Department abandoned Smith Act prosecutions across the country.

The pursuit of justice. When George Wallace threatened to block integration of the University of Alabama, Schnader’s Bernard Segal drafted a statement in opposition. He and Jerome Shestack called lawyers all over the country requesting their support. The statement was published in the Birmingham News with 53 prominent lawyer signatories and provided support for President Kennedy's Executive Order federalizing the Alabama National Guard.

The pursuit of justice. In the wake of George Wallace's efforts to impede the integration of the University of Alabama, and at the urging of Schnader’s Bernard Segal, President Kennedy convened 244 lawyers at the White House to ask them to move the battle for civil rights and racial equality to the courts. The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law was born and Jerome Shestack became its full-time executive director while continuing to practice at Schnader.

Inclusion. Firm founder Bernard Segal was chair of the ABA’s Committee on the Federal Judiciary. He advocated the appointment of federal judges of all genders and races.

Inclusion. Firm founder Bernard Segal was the first Jewish person to serve as Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association. He encouraged the bar into public service and expanded its racial horizons.

Inclusion. Schnader was one of the first major Philadelphia firms to hire a female attorney.

Diversity. Schnader was a founding member of the Philadelphia Diversity Law Group, which aims to increase the number of diverse attorneys in-house and in private practice.

Inclusion. The firm appointed Albert Dandridge as Chief Diversity Officer and charged him with increasing and developing our bench of diverse attorneys.

Service. The firm adopted Caton Village (now closed), a halfway house for women in Philadelphia, where we provided free legal clinics and social and educational activities for its residents.

Service. Schnader lawyers regularly represent undocumented children who were abused or abandoned by their parents. We help these children obtain guardians, stop removal proceedings, and begin the path to citizenship.

Service. As U.S. veterans waited an average of four years for a ruling on the denial of their disability benefits, Schnader attorneys led a campaign advocating for a solution to address the backlog.

The pursuit of justice. Schnader attorneys represented Guantanamo Bay detainees, advocating for fair treatment and due process against a byzantine legal landscape.

Service. With a nonprofit partner, Schnader attorneys and staff designed and taught a pilot life skills seminar for young adults aging out of the foster care system. The program included lessons on securing vital documents, opening a bank account, looking for jobs and going to an interview.

Service. Schnader attorneys help middle school students in Pittsburgh set up a youth court, prepare for mock trials and draft a bill of rights for their school. The students learn about Constitutional law, advocacy and restorative justice from participating in these programs.

Service. Bernard Segal, a founder of the firm, believed that Schnader's hallmark is its "dedication to the higher calling of the law," which he defined as "the lawyer's obligation to assume an active role in the pursuit of a just and ordered society, in helping to solve the emerging problems of social, economic and political importance, and to serve the public as his or her client, as she or he would serve a full-paying client."

Secured By miniOrange