Barry Kamins: The Teacher, the Judge, and the Advocate
By Jeremy Murphy
The Honorable Barry Kamins occupies an important role as named partner at Aidala, Bertuna & Kamins, P.C. After decades as a prosecutor, defense attorney, judge, educator, and author, Kamins brings a rare depth of experience in criminal law, appellate advocacy, and professional ethics.
At the firm, Kamins handles attorney disciplinary matters, including cases involving lawyers facing license issues, suspension, or disbarment. He also works on complex criminal appeals and serves as a resource for attorneys confronting difficult questions of law and strategy. “I’m a retired judge,” Kamins says. “When I came to the firm, I took on a role to mentor a lot of the younger attorneys.” It is a natural next chapter for a lawyer whose career has been defined by the criminal justice system.
A Career Rooted in Criminal Law
Kamins was admitted to the New York bar in 1969 after earning his undergraduate degree from Columbia College and his law degree from Rutgers University School of Law. From 1969 to 1973, he served as an assistant district attorney in Kings County, rising to Deputy Chief of the Criminal Court Bureau. He later became a partner at Flamhaft Levy Kamins Hirsch and Rendeiro LLP before moving to the bench.
In 2008, Kamins was appointed to the New York City Criminal Court. He later served as an Acting Supreme Court Justice and then as a State Supreme Court Justice. Before leaving the bench, he held the roles of Administrative Judge of the Criminal Court of New York City, Administrative Judge for Criminal Matters for the Second Judicial District, and Chief of Policy and Planning for the New York court system.
Kamins admits that stepping away from the bench was challenging. “I do miss being a judge,” he says. “I love the law, and I always loved trying to decide legal issues.” The transition from judge to advocate required a shift in perspective. As a judge, Kamins says, the role is to determine the precise legal answer. As an advocate, the task is different.
“As an advocate, you’re trying to sometimes push the envelope and maybe stretch the law a little bit for the benefit of the client,” he says.
Scholar, Teacher, and Mentor
His passion for aiding new generations of attorneys extends into academia. He is an adjunct professor at Brooklyn Law School, where he teaches New York criminal practice. He writes the Criminal Law and Practice column for the New York Law Journal and is the author of New York Search and Seizure, a leading text updated annually for over 35 years. “It’s about all the cases from the New York courts dealing with the Fourth Amendment,” he says.
His passion for criminal law began early, influenced by an extraordinary law school professor: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, then in her first teaching job. “Because of the way she taught, she inspired me,” Kamins says. “I really loved criminal law.”
For Kamins, criminal law remains uniquely compelling because it concerns the simplest human stakes. “You’re not dealing with monetary rights,” he says. “You’re dealing with people’s liberty and due process, which is more important than ever.”
A Firm Fueled by Passion
At Aidala, Bertuna & Kamins, that belief fits naturally within a firm known for taking on difficult cases and fighting aggressively for clients. Kamins claims the firm’s energy begins with Arthur Aidala. “Arthur is a force of nature,” he says. “He’s a dynamic guy, and that sort of spreads around to the people who work for him.”
Kamins describes Aidala as not only knowledgeable but deeply passionate, a quality that elevates the firm. “When others see that he’s passionate, I think it inspires other lawyers in the firm to do the same thing,” he says. Among Kamins’s most notable achievements at the firm was serving on the team that overturned Harvey Weinstein’s conviction.
Second Chances and Due Process
One of the most meaningful cases involved Martin Tankleff, who served 17 years in prison for murder before his conviction was vacated. After Tankleff graduated from law school, Kamins represented him in his application for admission to the bar. “Now he’s a terrific lawyer, and it’s been one of the most satisfying things I’ve done,” Kamins says. That same commitment drives his work helping suspended or disbarred attorneys seek reinstatement. “Everybody’s entitled to a second chance,” he says.
For Barry Kamins, the law has been a lifelong calling. At Aidala, Bertuna & Kamins, he continues to work with the same purpose that has guided him for more than five decades: protecting due process, mentoring lawyers, and helping people reclaim their futures.
