Law School Mourns Passing of Professor Max Kravitz, L’73

August 13, 2007

Professor Max Kravitz, popular legal educator and renowned criminal defense attorney, passed away Sunday, Aug. 12, 2007.

Professor Kravitz’s affiliation with Capital University Law School began in 1970 when he enrolled as a law student. He graduated in 1973 with his J.D. and returned in 1975 as a staff attorney in the law school’s legal clinic. He began teaching in 1976 and over his 30+ years as an educator, he had taught criminal law, criminal procedure, advanced criminal procedure, federal criminal law, and capital punishment litigation and practiced and taught in the law school legal clinic.

“We are in shock and deeply saddened by the loss of our teacher, friend and colleague,” said Capital University Law School Dean Jack Guttenberg. “Max was an instrumental member of our law school and legal communities. Our hearts, sympathies and prayers are with his wife, Janet, and two sons, Bret and Zachary, during this very difficult time.”

Professor Kravitz was a respected and well-liked professor among the students for the enthusiasm and real-life experiences he brought to the classroom. He had practiced criminal law since 1973 when he began his career as a public defender. He also has been a partner in the firm of Kravitz and Kravitz LLC (now Kravitz, Brown & Dortch, LLC) since 1988.

Many alumni will recall the opportunity they had to work and learn alongside Professor Kravitz in one of the complex litigation cases he had as an attorney in the legal clinic or the opportunity to work for him as a law clerk for cases outside of the classroom. One of the larger, more memorable legal clinic cases involved a prison civil rights case, 13 years in the making, which resulted in a $40 million renovation of London Correctional Institution.

In a recent interview, Professor Kravitz indicated that one of his most memorable times at the law school was on July 3, 1978, the day the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Ohio’s capital sentencing laws. In the case, Lockett v. Ohio, 438 U.S. 586, for which he was counsel, the Supreme Court determined that Ohio’s capital sentencing scheme was unconstitutional for it didn’t permit a jury to consider mitigating circumstances when considering the death penalty. More than 450 people were removed from death row that day.

Professor Kravitz will not only be remembered as an excellent teacher and criminal law attorney, but he also will be remembered for his extensive service to the bar and legal profession.

Professor Kravitz was an active member of the Ohio State and Columbus Bar associations. He had chaired both the Criminal Justice Committee and the Post-Conviction Reform Subcommittee of the OSBA. In 2002, he was awarded the OSBA’s Legal Education Committee Award.

Professor Kravitz’s understanding of criminal law and procedures was instrumental to the Ohio General Assembly. In 1993, he was appointed by Governor Voinovich to the Ohio Criminal Sentencing Commission, and remained on the Commission for 14 years. The Commission is responsible for reviewing and making recommendations to Ohio’s felony, misdemeanor and juvenile sentencing laws.

He provided advice, consultation and testimony to House and Senate judiciary committees on a variety of issues, including establishing a mechanism for DNA testing of certain inmates serving a prison term for a felony or under sentence of death; juvenile sentencing; post-conviction reform; acceleration of death penalty appeals; and felony sentencing legislation.

In addition to serving on the Ohio Supreme Court’s Commission on Professionalism, Professor Kravitz was a member of the Rule 65 Committee on the Appointment of Counsel for Indigent Defendants in Capital Cases. He was a long-time board member of the Ohio Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (OACDL), a professional association with over 525 members, and served as chairman of the board, president, president-elect and secretary. He spoke frequently at criminal law education programs for attorneys and judges.

Professor Kravitz’s article, “Ohio’s Administrative License Suspension: A Double Jeopardy and Due Process Analysis,” published in the Akron Law Review in 1996, was cited by the Ohio Supreme Court, as well as lower courts and law reviews. He authored many criminal law articles for the Vindicator, a quarterly publication of the OACDL. As co-editor of the State Public Defender Report, he summarized new developments and cases in criminal law and procedure for the State Public Defenders’ Office monthly publication. Professor Kravitz co-authored two training manuals for the Ohio Municipal League: Mayor’s Court Education Manual: Criminal Offenses and Mayor’s Court Education Manual: Alcohol and Drug Related Offenses. He also co-authored a manual for domestic violence shelter professionals throughout Ohio, Justice for Ohio’s Domestic Violence Victims: An Easy Guide to Using the Justice System.

Professor Max Kravitz is survived by his wife Janet, a 1987 Capital University Law School graduate; his two sons, Bret and Zachary; his mother, Sylvia; and his brothers, Jack, Larry and Philip.

The family has requested that in lieu of flowers donations be made to the Max Kravitz Memorial Endowment Fund at Capital University Law School.

Other links:
http://kravitzllc.com/Max_Kravitz.shtml
http://www.legacy.com/Dispatch/Obituaries.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonId=92602491
http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/content/local_news/stories/2007/08/14/kravitz.ART_ART_08-14-07_B3_A07K27S.html