Carl A. Green '50

After World War II, in 1947, and just out of the Navy, Green said he chose UB Law because even with the GI Bill, no one could afford to go to law school out of town. In 1950, he was a member of the first class to graduate from 77 W. Eagle St.

Most of his classmates had been in the military, were older than the average law student and expected to work hard. Many had families. He fondly remembers Professor Hyman and Dr. Lenhoff because “their voices rang through to me in the bar exam.”

After graduation, Green started to practice law with his brother-in-law, Richard Lipsitz. They now have been practicing together for 57 years. The name of the firm is Lipsitz Green Scime & Cambria, and it has over 60 lawyers.

Today, in 2007, there is no comparison to the way law was practiced back then. “We had a mimeograph machine, typists worked with carbon paper, and Dick Lipsitz and I shared a desk. A real estate closing was a few sheets of paper and a very narrow file. Trials used to take three days. None of that is true anymore.”

One of his proudest career accomplishments occurred in 1986. For years, Green represented workers diagnosed with asbestosis, mesothelioma or lung cancer long after their exposure to asbestos. His crusade was to overturn the state’s three-year statute of limitations on filing a claim against employers, which prevented thousands of exposed workers from suing for compensation.

After unsuccessfully arguing the case in the state’s highest court, Green joined others in a push to amend the statute through the State Legislature. When legislation passed in 1986, Green’s role was recognized by then-Gov. Mario Cuomo, who presented the attorney with the pen used to sign the bill into law.

His advice to a UB law student today: “Take very seriously what you want to do in the practice of law. The concept of trial practice is so different than it was 57 years ago!”

Born 1928—Died 2020