LEE KREINDLER

Lee's story proves that David can conquer Golliath! But the question is how. Our goal here is to show how Lee got his start. We hope that his example will inspire the next generation of leaders and give them the courage to purse their own quest for justice.

A Special Note to Educators:

The resources below are just a sneak peak. Please contact us if you would like copies of newspaper articles and/or trial documents for your classroom.
Brooklyn Kid
Lee was born March 11, 1924 and grew up in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn near the Botanical Gardens.
Doris Barsky Kreindler, Lee's mom, was a painter with paintings still exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art today.
Harry E. Kreindler, Lee's dad, was a respected litigation attorney.
1927
1931
1938. Lee was a proud graduate of P.S. 208 elementary School. Brooklyn, NY.
1941. Lee, shown in between his parents, graduated with honors from James Madison High School, Brooklyn, NY.
21 Club Clan
Lee and his sister, Ronnie, were 2nd cousins with Mac, Jack, Bob, and Pete Kriendler.
1922. Jack Kriendler and Charlie Berns opened the first version of the 21 Club opened in Greenwich Village.
In late 1929, the Club moved to 21 West 52nd Street and became the most famous speakeasy in the USA.
21's massive Cast Iron Gates protected the club during prohibition.
21's wine cellar hid the Private Stock of celebrities and presidents underground.
21's Bar Room ceiling captured the imagination of almost every U.S. President since Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
In the early 1900s, the Kreindler / Kriendler families settled in Queens, the Lower East Side and Brooklyn.
The extended family was large. Carl Kriendler, the father of the 21 Club Brothers, was one of eight children.
Carl and his wife, Sadie, had nine children of their own, five daughters and the four 21 Club Brothers.
Lee's side of the family was large as well. Lee had five uncles and one aunt.
Lee, Ronnie, and the 21 Club cousins were a tight knit group often getting together at family gatherings at the 21 Club or Jack's farm on Long Island.
This was an Annual Family Gathering at Jack's Hampton bays, L.I. — 1940.
1-Lee, 2-Ronnie, 3-4-Harry and Doris, 5-6-Luisa and Jack Kriendler.
And, this was an Annual Family gathering at jack's hampton bays, L.I. — 1941.
1-Lee, 2-Ronnie, 3-Mac, 4-Pete, 5-6-Luisa and Jack, 8-9-Harry and Doris.
College / World War 2
After high school Lee headed to New Hampshire to attend Dartmouth College in the fall of 1941.
Lee was in his first year at Dartmouth when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, precipitating America's entry into World War II.
Lee enlisted in the Army in 1941 and was called to Active Duty April 27, 1943. ASN: 11099665.
After reporting to Camp Upton Lee was assigned to Camp Hood North for Basic Training.
After Basic Training at Fort Hood Lee became part of the Tank Destroyer Battallion (TD).
October, 1944, Lee was selected for: ASTD Citadel College Basic Engineering — 6 Months.
WPTO Departure: 2-6-45. Lee Shipped from Oakland, CA February 6, 1945 and arrived in Manilla March 25, 1945.
While in the Pacific, Lee was the Editor of the Stars and Stripes Comment and Query, the column that reporting on "enlisted boys' daily life" in the Army.
CPL. Lee S. Kreindler, Comment and Query Editor.
February 8, 1946 — After a one year tour of duty in the Pacific, Lee learned that he would be sailing home on Monday.
The weekend before leaving Lee had his photo taken as a memento for his parents.
Lee, Technician Fifth Grade, 1561st Engineer depot Company, received his Honorable Discharge March 2, 1946.
When Lee returned home he was readmitted to Dartmouth and graduated as part of the class of '45 on June 15, 1947.
From Dartmouth, Lee went to Harvard Law School. With a burning interest in politics, he started a club for like minded students. Speakers that addressed the group included John and Bobby Kennedy.
Lee's First Aviation Case — DC-6
After graduating from Harvard Law School in the spring of 1949, Lee joined his father to form the law firm of Kreindler and Kreindler — 51 Chambers Street in Manhattan, across from City Hall.
On February 11, 1952, a National Airlines flight to Miami crashed in Elizabeth, NJ. shortly after take-off.
On the way down the plane sheared off the corner of a four story building killing several residents...After the fuselage broke in two, the front section crashed into the playground of an orphanage and burst into flames, killing 26 passengers and three crew members aboard.
Sylvia Rothenberg arrived at the Kreindler and Kreindler office in November of 1952. At that time, airline crashes were considered acts of God. There was no precedent for air disaster litigation. Sighing, Harry said regretfully, "I'm sorry, but I don't think there is anything we can do for you".
Lee saw Sylvia's face, revealing an exhausted, deeply hurt, despairing woman beneath the mask of determination. On impulse, he said, "wait a minute Dad. Why don't we try to figure out why the plane crashed? There might be an angle we can explore that hasn't been tried yet."
The next day Lee got going in earnest and approached the case with the creativity and attention to detail for which he became famous.
Lee began with the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) investigation that determined that the probable cause of the accident was a "Mechanical difficulty" during the climb involving the reversal of the No. 3 propeller and the subsequent feathering of the No.4 propeller. However, the investigation did not explain WHY the mechanical difficulty happened.
Lee decided that he needed first-hand knowledge of how propeller engines worked. Searching the Yellow Pages, he found a propeller shop in Mineola, Long Island and explained that he wanted to come work at the shop to learn about propellers.
Lee's hard work and attention to detail over the next half year payed off. Armed with tremendous facts, figures and knowledge, Lee filed a lawsuit against National Airlines in Manhattan Federal Court, claiming negligence and seeking punitive damages. In late September, three weeks before the trial was to start, National Airlines caved and agreed to settle.
October 1, 1953: New York Journal American.
October 1, 1953: Newark Evening News.
October 2, 1953: Long Island Press, Vindicator Telegram, Bayonne, NJ TIMES, Plain Dealer, Detroit Michigan TIMES.
October 2, 1953: New York Herald Tribune.
October 2, 1953: The New York Times.
October 2, 1953: World Telegram and Sun, Daily News, Daily Mirror.
Aviation Accident Law and the Warsaw Convention
1963. After the National Airlines case, Lee become heralded as the Father of Aviation Law.
Early on, Lee realized the importance of becoming an active member of the legal community.
Including: the American Bar Association, the American Judicature Society, the Trial Lawyers Section of the New York State Bar and the American College of Trial Lawyers.
1963: Lee published Aviation Accident Law.
— The first complete and authoritative guide to the preparation and trial of aviation accident cases.
May 26-27, 1965: Hearings before the Committee on Foreign Relations
June 7, 1965: Senator Frank Carlson.
June 10, 1965: Senator Harrison A. Williams, Jr.
June 22, 1965: Senator Roman L. Hruska.
June 22, 1965: Senator Albert Gore.
July 13, 1965: Senator William Proxmire.
July 16, 1965: Senator Everett McKinley Dirksen.
August 5, 1965: Senator Albert Gore.
August 10, 1965. Senator Edward M. Kennedy.
August 12, 1965: H. RES. 518.
August 25, 1965: Lee's letter to the ATLA re: H. RES. 518.
October 1, 1965: Senator Thomas H. Kuchel.
October 5, 1965: Senator Frank Carlson.
October 20, 1965. New York Times.
October 21, 1965. New York Times.
October 23, 1965: New York Times.
October 27, 1965: Senator Eugene J. McCarthy.
October 28, 1965: Senator Daniel K. Inouye
October 31, 1965: New York Times — Cabell Phillips.
October 31, 1965: New York Times. — Lee S. Kreindler
October-November 1965: Trial Magazine. "the 36-year-old Warsaw Convention Treaty is dead".
November 1, 1965: Senator Daniel B. Brewster
November 3, 1965: Senator Thomas A. Kuchel
November 30, 1965: Panelist —The White House.
June 23, 1967: International Society of Barristers
September 9, 1970: Senator Ralph W. Yarborough.
Vitae.
World Peace Through Law
1963: The 1st World Peace Through Law Conference was attended by 2,500 legal minds from across the globe.
1964. The World Peace Through Law Center made remarkable progress.
1965: After defeating the Warsaw Convention, Lee turned his attention to World Peace Through Law.
His Focus: The creation of a Demonstration Trial that would show how Law could prevent war.
Lee's work for World Peace Through Law required a lot of travel, and our family often went with him.
January 22, 1971: Summary of Lee's "Case" at the 1st Demonstration Trial.
July 23, 1971: The Daily Bulletin during the Conference.
US Chief Justice Earl Warren presided over the Demonstration Trial.
July 21-25, 1971: Beograd, Jugoslvia
August 1, 1971: The Washington Post.
August 4, 1971. Charles S. Rhyne, President, World Peace Through Law Center.
August 4, 1971. Edward J. Smith, Jr., Director of Programs, World Peace Through Law Center.
August 18, 1971. Dr. Nobuo Naritomi, Attorney-At-Law. Tokyo, Japan.
August 21, 1971. James A. A. Pierre, Chief Justice Supreme Court of Liberia.
November 1, 1971. Summary of the Conference by William S. Thompson. Page 1.
November 1, 1971. Summary of the Conference by William S. Thompson. Page 2.
July, 1971: Lee Kreindler, Associate Chairman of the First International Demonstration Trial.
December 4, 1971. International Academy of Trial Lawyers.
September 28, 1971. Charles S. Rhyne, President, World Peace Through Law Center. Resolution No. 28.
1973: Traveling to Abidjan.
August 26-31, 1973: Abidjan World Conference on World Peace Through Law.
August, 1973: Abidjan World Conference.
A Sampling of Aviation Cases
1952 — National Airlines Flight 402, DC-6, crashed in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
January 24, 1956. Witchita Beacon.
1956.
February 3, 1959 — Beechcraft Model 35 Bonanza, N3794N crashed northwest of the Mason City Municipal Airport.
Beechcraft Bonanza Trial Materials.
Beechcraft Bonanza Trial Materials.
July 21, 1958. U.S. Court of Appeals. Goldie B. Prashker v. Beech Aircraft Corp. and Atlantic Aviation Corp.
1965.
February 15, 1961 — Sabena Flight 548, Boeing 707, crashed en route from New York City to Brussels.
February 17, 1966 — Joseph Proskaeur Letter re: Sabena Settlement.
April 10, 1966 — In advance of the David Suskind TV Show.
April 10, 1966 — David Susskind Interview.
October Term 1967. Supreme Court.
February 3, 1969 — Air France Suits Settled.
February 10, 1973 — British European Airways Trident.
January 9, 1972: Evening News.
August 27, 1979. TIME Magazine. American Flight 191. DC-10 crash in Chicago.
1997 — Harvard Law Journal re: TWA 800 which exploded on July 17, 1996 off Long Island, NY.
Lee's Legacy
Lee's work was always the center of our family's life.
Traveling often, we felt first-hand the positive impact that Lee was creating around the World.
Especially trips where we were preparing for the World Peace Through Law Conferences.
When we were not traveling, we often were in Hanover or Cambridge. Dartmouth and Harvard were big parts of our lives.
After Lee's passing, Ruth dedicated herself to Lee's Legacy.
Ruth main priority was to inspire students. Ruth's first focus was the establishment of the Kreindler Conference Center at Dartmouth College.
Kreindler Conference Center, Dartmouth College.
Next, in 2005 Ruth created the: Lee S. Kreindler '49 Professorship of Law.
2005: Lee S. Kreindler '49 Professorship of Law.
Ruth is on the Left. Elena Kagan, then Dean of Harvard Law, and current Associate Justice, U.S. Supreme Court and Jim Kreindler on the right.
2005 — Ruth, Elena Kagan and Family.
Lee's Legacy — We are now excited that The Fight For Justice can inspire students in colleges and law schools across the United States and the World.