Community Service
As Leavitt & Kerson continues in our 36th year serving generations of clients, we recognize the ongoing importance of volunteer community service.

Paul served as President of the QUEENS COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION for 2015-2016 after spending a lifetime of service in various other capacities, including Editor of and contributor to the Queens Bar Journal.  He continues to serve on the Board of Managers. Here’s a picture from Paul’s inauguration.

Paul continues as a Trustee of The QUEENS HISTORICAL SOCIETY and has lectured and written numerous articles and publications.

Marc has presented financial planning lectures for nearly 20 years for CARING KIND – The HEART of ALZHEIMER’S CAREGIVING. He also lectures for The Queens Library Foundation and numerous other organizations.

SUNNYSIDE COMMUNITY SERVICES (SCS) was founded as a senior center in West Queens in 1974, with our late senior partner Benjamin Shaw as the founding lawyer, and it has grown into a multi-faceted community center. Our office has provided pro bono legal service for decades, and Ben, Marc and Ira have all received awards.

Ira is a past President of the Sunnyside CHAMBER OF COMMERCE and has served since 2009 as a non-voting Board Member of the METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY representing the LIRR Commuters Council.

Marc is a Past President and active member of The KIWANIS CLUB of Sunnyside since 1987. Annual projects include:

Valentine's Day Party at SCS, where Marc began 30 years ago leading the morning sing-along of love songs in 3 languages.

• The Ben Shaw Essay Contest (founded by Ben, a past president, over 30 years ago) where winners in each grade in each local public and religious school are celebrated at an award lunch at Sidetracks Restaurant. The grand prize trophy is displayed each year in the winner’s school, with all past winners engraved on it.
• Flag Day Parade in June celebrating our multi-cultural nation. Marc often marches while playing his flute.
• Kamp Kiwanis in upstate New York, attended by a group from Sunnyside for a week each summer. Marc spent a week there with his then young son in 1993.

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY COLLEGE of DENTAL MEDICINE is a leader in senior oral health care policy and treatment as well as cutting-edge education and use of “big data” to improve health care. Since 2000, Marc has served on the Advisory Committee and was involved in developing the ElderSmile Program. His late father, Professor and Dr. Joseph M. Leavitt was the founding chair of the Division of Endodontics. In conjunction with the 50th anniversary in 2016, Marc produced and narrated a mini-documentary (14 minutes) for the university website about how his father and colleagues perfected Root Canal Therapy as the practical alternative to extraction of pulpally infected teeth.

We have presented Legal Education seminars about our landmark NAZI ERA Restitution Case involving the 1934 aryanization of the brewery-brauhaus conglomerate of Ignatz Nacher, who is credited with inventing pasteurization of beer. This 14 year saga, beginning with our Queens lawsuit that inspired the global Slave Labor settlement with Germany and multi-national corporations, ultimately reached the steps of the Supreme Court. The Nacher family heirs received significant compensation via post-reunification real estate claims in Germany. Click here for the notice of our 1/29/14 Queens Bar Seminar. Joseph and Paul became award winning faculty members of Lawline.com.

Marc was assistant coach of the 2017 Islamic RAZI SCHOOL H.S. MOOT COURT COMPETITION team, which made it to the fourth round in a statewide debate tournament. What better way to promote tolerance and diversity and the rule of law than by teaching students of every religion and background.

Marc serves on the Board of LONG ISLAND CITY ARTISTS, a not-for-profit membership organization hosting exhibitions throughout Queens and operating a thriving community arts center at space donated by the Plaxall organization. See the 3 minute video narrated by Marc below.