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Youngstown Attorney Martin S. Goldberg honored with 60-year pin
NATALIE PEACOCK
Legal News Reporter
Published: July 12, 2012
Between writing a crime novel and volunteering with the Palm Desert police department, practicing law is only one of many interests that has shaped Attorney Martin S. Goldberg’s career. The 87-year-old Youngstown native was honored in June by the Mahoning County Bar Association for his 60 years as a member.
Goldberg studied law at The Ohio State University, graduating in 1952. He began his career in Youngstown in the summer of 1952 at a small firm working for Ed Stanley. He worked there for nearly eight months before taking a job at an advertising agency in New York. Not enjoying the work, he left the agency after only three months and moved back to Ohio to work in law again.
He opened his own practice in Youngstown and worked in medical malpractice and personal injury law.
“ In the majority of cases, I represented patients against hospitals and doctors as well as insurance companies,” he said. “I did a lot of referral work from other lawyers. A lot of other lawyers didn’t care to go into court and I enjoyed it. I really enjoyed being in the courtroom because it was a chance to relate to the jury. In a sense, sell my case to the jury.”
One of his greatest accomplishments as a lawyer came when he was representing a family whose daughter had died.
“The Marriott Corporation refused to pay some benefits that she was entitled to under her policy as an employee of the company,” he said. “I went to federal court in Cleveland and the judge threw my case out. He told me that if I didn’t accept the settlement that was totally inadequate, he was going to direct the verdict, which he did.”
Determined, Goldberg took his case down to the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati.
“All I was asking for in my appeal was a chance to go to a jury,” he said. “I thought, I’ll take my chances with a jury and at least my client will have her day in court.”
Goldberg presented his case to the 6th Circuit Court judges.
“They give you a 15-minute argument and then they hit you with questions from three judges,” he said. “Six weeks later, I got the decision that they not only went my way, they gave me final judgment. I didn’t even have to go to a jury. We collected the full judgment, plus the interest on the amount. I thought the company was going to try and go to the Supreme Court because they were upset but they didn’t. They paid.”
In 1981, Goldberg became a member of the California bar and began splitting his law practice between California and Ohio. He moved to California full time in 2002 and now volunteers in a program called C.O.P.S. (Citizens On Patrol) with the police department in Palm Desert.
“It’s a fascinating program because you are exposed to things that go on in the police department, such as the K9 operation, the securities and computer theft,” he said.
When Goldberg moved to California, he began attending a weekly writing class. He wanted to polish his writing skills for legal briefs, but with his teacher’s inspiration, he took on the task of writing a crime novel called Corruption in God’s House. Set in a fictional city that resembles Youngstown, the plot involves a big trial and a surprise verdict.
“The story has a lot of action in it,” he said. “It’s a quick read and fortunately I’ve had a lot of good feedback from those who have read it.”
Goldberg turns 88 in July, which prompts a story about numbers.
“I was born 7-11-1924,” he says “During World War II, I was in the 7th Air Force, the 11th bomb group and a crew member on a B-24 bomber. Those numbers are pretty significant to my life.”
During those war years, Goldberg tallied some additionally impressive numbers. He flew 34 combat missions in the central Pacific on a 10-man crew as a radio operator and top turret gunner, earning a Distinguished Flying Cross and seven air medals.
“I was shot and bombed at and everything else but fortunately came home in good shape,” he said.
The 60-year bar association pin is particularly meaningful to the former Ohioan.
“I have a lot of wonderful memories about my friends back here and the courts and the experiences that I’ve had in my long career.”