The Hon. Isaac Borenstein (Ret.) is a well-known, highly regarded and very experienced former Judge of the Superior Court (16 years) and Lawrence District Court (6 years), trial and appellate attorney, and law school professor. On September 12, 2008, after twenty-two (22) years as a Judge, he retired from the bench. Judge Borenstein is of Counsel to our firm, where he specializes in civil and criminal litigation at the state and federal levels, including trial and appellate work, parole and other post-conviction matters. He also consults with attorneys, individuals and institutions on issues of concern to their clients, including employment, business and related matters, as well as on a variety of civil and criminal cases.
Since going into practice, he has handled, on the civil side, commercial and business litigation; trust and estate disputes; divorce, probate and family issues; employment cases; wrongful death and other personal injury matters; represented an insurance agency and individuals under civil investigation by the State Attorney General’s Office and the State Division of Insurance, as well as one civil case before the Appeals Court.
On the criminal side, his practice has included white collar and other matters in federal court; several clients in state court with misdemeanor and felony cases scheduled for trial or at pre-trial stages; clients with post-conviction matters, one criminal case argued before the Appeals Court and a number of others in the appellate process; motions for a new trial, to revise and revoke sentences; and several individuals serving life sentences, on whose behalf he has filed and argued parole petitions before the entire six-person Massachusetts Parole Board.
Judge Borenstein is also a member of the panel of neutrals at a highly respected practice: The Mediation Group (TMG) in Brookline, Massachusetts. He handles mediations, arbitrations, and is available as a master and case evaluator. As a Judge, he was known as a skilled mediator and helped resolve many dozens of cases short of trial.
Judge Borenstein has been a full and part-time law professor for close to thirty (30) years. Since 1985, he has been a Lecturer in Law at Northeastern University School of Law and for about ten (10) years an Adjunct Professor at Suffolk Law School. He currently teaches Evidence and Criminal Procedure at both schools, and he has taught Administrative Law, Torts, Criminal Law, Civil and Criminal Trial Practice. He is a frequent public speaker, and regularly appears on news programs and print media to comment on cases and issues in the civil and criminal justice system.
Judge Borenstein is a native of Havana, Cuba, and immigrated to the United States in 1961 at the age of ten. After earning a B.A. “With Distinction” in Political Science from The George Washington University in 1972, Judge Borenstein was awarded a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Northeastern University School of Law in 1975 and received a Master of Laws degree (LL.M.) from Harvard Law School in 1983. He is a member of the Florida Bar (1976) and the Massachusetts bar (1979).
Areas Of Practice
- Criminal Law
- Commercial and Business Litigation
- Trust and Estate Disputes
- Divorce
- Probate and Family Issues
- Employment Cases
- Wrongful Death
- Personal Injury
- Mediation, Arbitration, Case Evaluation, Master; The Mediation Group (TMG), Brookline, MA.
Bar Admissions
- Florida, 1976
- Massachusetts, 1979
Education
- Harvard Law School, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- LL.M. – 1983
- Northeastern University School of Law, Boston, Massachusetts
- J.D. – 1975
- The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia
- B.A. – 1972
- Honors: “With Distinction”
- Major: Political Science
Classes/Seminars
- Lecturer in Law at Northeastern University School of Law
- Adjunct Professor at Suffolk Law School
- Evidence, Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Administrative Law, Torts, Criminal Law, Civil and Criminal Trial Practice
Pro Bono Activities
- Suffolk Lawyers for Justice