New York County Lawyers Association Issues Statement on the Passing of Judge Chester J. Straub

The New York County Lawyers Association (NYCLA) today issued the following statement on the passing of Judge Chester J. Straub, Senior Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, where he served as an active judge from 1998 to 2008, assuming senior status in 2008 and becoming an inactive federal judge in 2017 until his passing on July 13, 2024, at age 87.  NYCLA and its officers, directors and members mourn the passing of this dedicated public servant and jurist. 

A native of Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Judge Straub was a member of the New York State bar for more than sixty years.  His public service began in 1961, as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Corp.   He was admitted to the New York State Bar the following year, in 1962, and joined the firm of Willkie Farr & Gallagher in 1963, where he was an associate and partner in the litigation practice group, with a practice concentrating on litigation and regulatory and government affairs, until taking the bench in 1998.    His public service also included terms in the New York State Assembly, from 1967 to 1972, and the New York State Senate, from 1973 to 1975.  In addition, he served New York’s federal and state courts as a member of Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan’s Judicial Selection Committee from 1976 to 1998, as chair of Governor Mario Cuomo’s New York State Statewide Judicial Screening Committee from 1988 to 1994, and as chair of the First Department Judicial Screening Committee from 1983 to 1994.    

“Judge Straub was known for his unfailing grace and courtesy in his professional interactions, as a lawyer and as an appellate judge, and for his decades of commitment to public service, in so many ways.  Whether he wrote for the majority or in dissent, his opinions were notable for their care and thought.  He will be missed” said Adrienne B. Koch, NYCLA President.

Hon. Elizabeth Stong, NYCLA Board Member and US Bankruptcy judge for the Eastern District of New York noted “Judge Straub was my colleague at Willkie Farr for many years.  He had the highest standards for himself and for his colleagues, in practice and on the bench.  I recall how he graciously encouraged me to apply for appointment as a bankruptcy judge, an area in which I had never practiced, and how much that meant to me at the time.  And I was truly honored when he agreed to administer the oath of office.”

Judge Straub is survived by his wife of 65 years, Patricia Morrissey, his sister Ann, his sons Michael, Christopher, and Robert, and seven grandchildren. 

About the New York County Lawyers Association
The New York County Lawyers Association (www.nycla.org) was founded in 1908 as one of the first major bar associations in the country that admitted members without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, or gender. Since its inception, it has pioneered some of the most far-reaching and tangible reforms in American jurisprudence and has continuously played an active role in legal developments and public policy.

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